


Law & Order: NCT

by The_Sassiest_Trixster



Series: NCT [11]
Category: EXO (Band), NCT (Band), Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Inspired by Law & Order: SVU, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-12
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-08 09:48:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 111
Words: 152,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26969995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Sassiest_Trixster/pseuds/The_Sassiest_Trixster
Summary: In the criminal justice system, sexually-based offenses are considered especially heinous.  In Asmaye, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as The Special Victims Unit.  These are their stories.
Relationships: Bang Chan/Lee Felix, Byun Baekhyun/Park Chanyeol, Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten/Suh Youngho | Johnny, Do Kyungsoo | D.O/Kim Jongin | Kai, Dong Si Cheng | WinWin/Nakamoto Yuta, Huang Zi Tao | Z.Tao/Wu Yi Fan | Kris, Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Lee Taeyong, Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung/Moon Taeil, Kim Jongdae | Chen/Kim Minseok | Xiumin, Kim Jungwoo/Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas, Kim Junmyeon | Suho/Zhang Yi Xing | Lay, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee, Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin, Lu Han/Oh Sehun, Park Jisung/Zhong Chen Le, Wong Kun Hang | Hendery/Xiao De Jun | Xiao Jun
Series: NCT [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1668625
Comments: 561
Kudos: 250





	1. Case 1: Perverted Justice - Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Dialogue from Law & Order: SVU. Everything else is me

It was a bright Sunday morning as a young black pastor stood before his congregation, preaching.

“Love is long suffering and kind. Love never rejoices at evil, but rejoices in the triumph of truth” he stated. The rest of the congregation made noises of agreement and some even said “amen” or “preach”.

“Repeat, love bears with all things” the pastor stated.

“Love bears with all things” the congregation repeated as a young black woman was sitting in the pews, looking down at an old photo of a smiling little girl and a smiling man.

“Ever trustful, ever hopeful, ever patient” the pastor continued.

“Ever trustful, ever hopeful, ever patient” the young woman and the congregation repeated.

“Love never fails” the pastor finished.

“Love never fails” the congregation repeated, but this time, the young woman did not repeat after him and instead looked up from the picture sorrowfully.

~*~*~*~*~

After service, the pastor stood by the entrance of the sanctuary and shook congregation member’s hands as they left. After he shook one of the congregation member’s hands, he looked up to see the young woman walking towards him with a weak smile on her face.

“Michelle, I'm glad you keep coming back to services” he greeted as the young woman, Michelle Thompson, stopped before him.

“Yeah” Michelle agreed.

“And you're working your program?” the pastor, Reverend Curtis Scott, asked. Michelle nodded.

“Yeah, every day. I'm up to my ninth step” she replied. Reverend Scott smiled.

“Making amends” he stated. Michelle nodded again.

“To my father” she explained. Reverend Scott sighed and shook his head.

“Michelle, your father's in prison. That's not your fault” he assured.

“Yes, it is. I lied to the police. It's not enough to apologize. I'm supposed to restore justice” Michelle argued.

“When possible—” Reverend Scott started.

“Don't you know that lawyer, the one who gets innocent people out of jail?” Michelle asked, looking in him the eye. Reverend Scott was silent before he sighed.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, up in the local prison, in the classroom, an older black man and a young white man were sitting side by side, a bible open before the young white man.

“Sound it out. It's T-H” the black man, James Thompson, instructed.

 _“Throw”_ the young white man stated. James shook his head.

“No, no. The O-U is "ooh" here” he explained.

“Through” the young man corrected. James smiled.

“Nice, nice” he praised.

 _“I walk through…the valley of the shadow”_ James and the young man read aloud together when one of the officers came into the classroom.

“Visitors here” he called out. 

“Oh, you know, just find me later, Jose, okay?” James instructed, taking off his reading glasses. The young man, Jose, nodded and grabbed his Bible, standing up to leave when the officer shook his head.

“No, Thompson, for you” he stated. James looked over his shoulder at the officer in surprise.

“For me?” he asked. The officer nodded and motioned for James to follow him out to the visitor’s area. James stood up and followed the officer out into the waiting area, only to find Michelle waiting there for him.

“Michelle? Why are you here?” he asked. 

“I brought someone to meet you” Michelle replied, motioning to a tall man with light skin, brown eyes, and black hair.

“Lee Taemin, Mr. Thompson. I work with Project Innocence” the man introduced. Michelle then looked at James with shining dark brown eyes.

“I told him, Daddy. The truth. That you never raped me” she explained. James stared at her in shock before he sucked in a breath, not quite sure how to take the news.

~*~*~*~*~

That evening, Taemin sat before Lee Taeyong, Captain and squad leader of Asmaye Police Department Special Victim’s Unit in a very fancy restaurant.

“It’s been a while, hyung” Taeyong greeted. Taemin nodded.

“Indeed it has, Taeyong” he agreed. Taeyong then smiled slightly.

“Now I know you didn’t invite me to dinner just to have a nice chit-chat, so let’s have it” he ordered. Taemin smiled.

“Ah, getting right to the point are we? Alright. A Reverend Scott asked me to look into a case involving a congregant, Jennifer Thompson. Her father, James, was convicted of raping her when she was six” he explained, handing over a case file to Taeyong, who frowned at him as he took the file.

“Convicted of raping his own daughter? That's a tough case for Project Innocence to get behind” he stated as he opened the file and looked down at it.

“Yeah, it is, but this case was primarily made on Michelle's testimony. Now, she's saying that she was pressured by her mother to lie. She wants to recant” Taemin explained. Taeyong raised an eyebrow as he looked up from the file.

“Seventeen years after the fact?” he asked.

“Oh, she tried once before, as a teen. The original ADA and detective argued against reopening. Michelle went off the deep end after that drugs, alcohol. She's, uh, recently found sobriety” Taemin continued. Taeyong shook his head.

“Hold on, so her recant is part of a 12-step program? That's not the most reliable indicator of the truth” he reminded. Taemin huffed.

“Believe me; I've seen that pink cloud _"I forgive everyone"_ effect too. That's why I need you to investigate” he explained. Taeyong gave him a look before he smiled slightly and looked back down at the file.

“Any DNA, forensics, any corroboration?” he asked. Taemin shook his head.

“No, only…only her testimony and some inconclusive medical symptoms. Her mother, who has her own substance abuse history, made the initial 911 call” he explained.

“Did you talk to the father?” Taeyong asked. Taemin nodded.

“Oh, sure, up at Green Haven. He's a model prisoner. I found him credible. He's maintained his innocence for 17 years. It's hard enough to prove that someone is innocent of a crime. It's harder, still, to prove that that crime itself never occurred” he replied. Taeyong hummed as he looked up from the case.

“So you thought of me?” he asked, smiling slightly. Taemin nodded, smiling as well.

“Indeed I did” he replied. 


	2. Case 1: Perverted Justice - Part 2

The next day, Taeyong walked into the office and into the bullpen where the rest of his team, Lieutenant Jung Jaehyun, Police Detective First Grade Dong Sicheng, Sergeant Nakamoto Yuta, and Junior Detective Lee Donghyuck were sitting at their desks. He then walked over to Jaehyun and handed him the case file, explaining to everyone what Taemin had asked of him last night at dinner.

“Lee Taemin wants us to reopen a 20-year-old incest rape? Let him do the legwork” Yuta grumbled.

“Look, he just wants us to see if there's anything there” Taeyong stated.

“I mean, obviously, it's tough to get a conviction reopened, but Lee Taemin, the guy's a legend. If he thinks it's worth looking into –” Donghyuck started.

“Look, I know Taemin is your friend, but do we really need to work a closed case?” Yuta asked, interrupting him. Taeyong shook his head.

“Yuta, this isn’t out of friendship. And we didn't handle the case. It was the local precinct who hated James Thompson, who really worked him over, and when he finally got a lawyer—” he started.

“Let me guess. First-year legal aide?” Sicheng asked, raising an eyebrow. Taeyong shook his head.

“It was worse than that: it was some down on her luck, eighteen beat rent lawyer who could hardly pay for her transcript copies. We're just gonna vet the case” he explained. 

“So the lead detective was a guy named Aidan Paul, and the ADA was Lee. None of whom I’ve met” Taeyong stated, standing by Jaehyun to look over the case file. Donghyuck chuckled.

“Before your time, wow” he teased. 

“Missing Stratta, Haechan?” Taeyong asked, shooting him a look. Donghyuck smiled and shook his head, making Yuta, Sicheng, and Jaehyun chuckle as Taeyong clapped his hands.

“But there is somebody coming back to town who was here when they built the place” he stated before he looked over at Jaehyun and motioned for him to follow. Jaehyun nodded and immediately followed after his husband, leaving Donghyuck, Sicheng, and Yuta to watch them leave with confused looks on their faces.

“Who do you think they’re talking about?” Donghyuck asked. Yuta and Sicheng shook their heads.

“I have no idea” Yuta replied.

~*~*~*~*~

Taeyong and Jaehyun took a cab to the docks to meet an old friend of the pair, Bang Chan, an Assistant District Attorney.

“Chris” Taeyong greeted when they arrived before the man. Chan smiled when he saw Taeyong and immediately gave him a hug before giving Jaehyun a hug.

“How are you guys?” he asked as he pulled away.

“We’re doing well. How are you and Felix?” Taeyong asked, making Chan smile at the thought of his husband, Lee Felix, a defense attorney.

“We’re doing well. But I know we’re not here to talk about Felix or myself, so what’s up? I heard you have a victim who wants to recant?” he asked, crossing his arms. Jaehyun and Taeyong nodded and began to walk along the path, making Chan catch up with them.

“Between her ninth step, Reverend Scott, and Lee Taemin, Michelle Thompson’s convinced the cops and the DA blew the case” Jaehyun explained.

“It wasn't us. It was up at the 1-7, and we can't seem to get in touch with this detective who caught the case, Aidan Paul” Taeyong added. Chan made a face.

“Yeah, well, you may have a problem” he stated. Taeyong and Jaehyun raised an eyebrow.

“You knew him?” Jaehyun asked. Chan shook his head.

“No, but I heard the guy got bounced around a lot. Never met a corner he didn't cut” he explained. Jaehyun sighed while Taeyong hummed.

“Okay, any chance you remember the DA, Lee? Mark Lee?” he asked. Chan raised an eyebrow.

“Lee? That must've been an early case of his. He had family connections, got his hands dirty for a year, and then they bumped him up to white collar” he explained before he stopped walking and crossed his arms.

“What does he say about this?” he asked. Taeyong and Jaehyun stopped as well, turning to face him.

“Haven't called him yet” Taeyong replied. Chan nodded.

“Okay, good. Hold off. He rides a high horse” he explained before he smiled.

“But I have an old friend up at the 1-7 and if I buy him lunch, I’m sure he’ll talk like a Gossip Girl” he declared. Taeyong and Jaehyun smiled.

“Thanks” Taeyong thanked before he and Jaehyun turned and walked away, Jaehyun snapping his fingers, taking them back to APD.

~*~*~*~*~

After speaking with Chan, when Taeyong returned to the precinct, he called Michelle Thompson in for questioning. He then brought her into his office and had her sit down on his couch as he sat down next to her, asking her to remember what happened that night.

“My mama was out. She was drinking and drugging, and my dad came home from work, saw me and my baby brother making a mess. I tried to make hot dogs and burned myself. He got angry” she explained. 

“At you? You shouldn’t have been cooking at six” Taeyong reprimanded as Yuta walked into the room and sat down before Michelle.

“Well, that's what my dad said. My brother was crying. He was hungry” Michelle explained.

“Well, you tried” Yuta mused. Michelle glanced at him before she nodded.

“And Daddy asked where Mama was, if she was if she was drinking, and he put us to bed. When she got home, they started screaming at each other. I was crying, so Mama came in. I told her my hand got burnt, and she looked at me strange and said, _"What did your daddy do to you?"_ ” she continued.

“Do you remember how you responded?” Taeyong asked softly. Michelle was quiet before she nodded.

“Yeah. I _did not_ want her to be mad at me, so I said it was Daddy's fault, and she kept asking questions. _“What else did he do?” “Did he touch me down there?”_ And every time I said no, she got angry, so…so I finally said yes. The next morning, my daddy went to work, she called the police” she croaked, tears choking up her words.

“Okay, so you're saying that your father never touched you at all that night” Yuta stated, trying to make sure he was getting all of the right information.

“No, he yelled and scared me, but no” Michelle replied.

“Okay, Michelle, you repeated the story to the detective, the DA, to the jury—” Taeyong started.

“Yeah, my mama said I had to keep saying it, or people would be mad at me for lying. Look, I just wanted everyone to be quiet. Nothing happened that night. I swear” Michelle assured, looking over at Taeyong, who then looked over at Yuta and gave him a look.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	3. Case 1: Perverted Justice - Part 3

“That man's a curse. Is he dead?” Audrey Jones, Michelle Thompson’s mother, asked as she walked down the street, Sicheng and Donghyuck walking behind her.

“He's not dead, ma'am. Maybe we could come up. We could ask you some questions—” Donghyuck started when Audrey scoffed.

“I'm not letting no police up in my house” she exclaimed before she stopped and turned to face Donghyuck and Sicheng.

“What is this? He's not getting out, is he?” she asked as she continued walking again.

“We're looking into the case” Sicheng replied.

“He put you up to that?” Audrey asked. Donghyuck shook his head as he quickened his step so that he could get in front of her.

“No, actually, your daughter Michelle did” he stated, making her stop walking and roll her eyes.

“What is it this week? She found Jesus? She finished looking for the truth down at the bottom of that bottle? You know, you wait a week, she'll change her mind. She and her brother are both messed up because of their father. I'm done talking. I'm late for work” she snapped before she walked around Donghyuck and continued walking down the street. As Donghyuck and Sicheng watched her leave, Donghyuck shook his head.

“She's right back in that apartment, 17 years ago” he mused. Sicheng huffed.

“Yeah. She's holding on so tight to the story she told then. It's almost like she has to” he stated as he and Donghyuck turned and began walking away. 

“And this is why I don't like reopening cases. It's tough enough to figure out at the time. All these years later? How are we ever gonna know?” Donghyuck grumbled.

~*~*~*~*~

After speaking to Audrey, Donghyuck and Sicheng headed up to Green Haven to talk to James about his side of the story.

“I never touched my little girl. My wife lied, and she made Michelle lie” James explained. Donghyuck raised an eyebrow.

“There a reason your wife would do that to you, Mr. Thompson?” he asked.

“You know, Audrey was an addict back then. She used to come home with this wild look in her eye. It was dangerous. But most of the time, I knew to keep out of her way” James replied.

“But not that night” Donghyuck stated. James shook his head.

“No, she left the kids alone. They could've burned the house down” he exclaimed.

“All right, so you're saying your wife made up a story about you raping Michelle, convinced her to lie, and had you put in prison because of a marital fight?” Sicheng asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Don't you think I've been asking myself that for the last 17 years?” James snapped.

“Yeah, it's time enough to make up a lot of excuses for yourself” Sicheng stated sarcastically.

“Yeah, but there was no evidence” James exclaimed.

“There were bruises. She was crying” Sicheng growled as he placed his hands on the table that James was sitting at and leaned forward so that he was in his face.

“Not because of me” James snapped.

“Well, the police asked why there was semen on your daughter's pajamas. You said your wife had planted it” Sicheng reminded as he pushed off from the table.

“There was no semen” James growled.

“Exactly. If you were innocent, why didn't you just say that?” Sicheng asked, raising an eyebrow as he crossed his arms.

“Because the police tricked me, like you're trying to trick me right now” James snarled.

“We're not trying to trick you. We just want to know your side of the story” Donghyuck soothed as he pushed off from where he was leaning against the wall and walked over to Sicheng and James.

“You know, I've kept my back to the wall in here. I've tried to be a good father” James explained.

“How so?” Donghyuck asked as he sat down before James.

“'Cause I write to Will and Michelle every week, and I tell them that I love them. Their mother, Audrey, she's never been there for them, man. I'm still their father. My daughter has admitted that this whole story was made up. Now, what more do I have to do?” James demanded, looking into Donghyuck and Sicheng’s eyes.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the APD, Sicheng and Donghyuck walked in, just as Taeyong, Jaehyun, Yuta, and Taemin were entering.

“Everyone, this is Counselor Lee Taemin” Taeyong introduced. Taemin shook hands with everyone before Taeyong turned to Sicheng.

“So, how’d the meeting go with James Thompson?” he asked. Sicheng nodded.

“He maintains his innocence, which is to be expected, but his version of that night does match up with Michelle’s” he stated.

“And she seemed credible” Yuta added. Taemin huffed.

“Yeah, well, we're gonna need more than that to convince the judge to reopen” he stated.

“The detective on the case, Aidan Paul, has retired to Truoji. I've left more than a few messages, but no call back yet” Yuta explained, just as Chan walked into the precinct and over to the others.

“Chan” Yuta greeted, nodding to the man. Chan smiled and nodded at him before he turned to Taeyong and smiled.

“Lieutenant” he greeted. Taeyong smiled in returned before motioning to Taemin.

“So Counselor Bang, Counselor Lee. You two remember each other” he stated. Chan nodded as he and Taemin shook hands.

“Yeah, I do” he replied. Taeyong then motioned to Donghyuck.

“I don’t think you’ve met him, but this is our newest detective, Lee Donghyuck. He joined a little over a month ago” he introduced. Donghyuck smiled as he shook Chan’s hand.

“Nice to meet you, Counselor” he replied.

“Likewise” Chan agreed. Taeyong then looked back at Taemin.

“Chris has some contacts up at the 2-7. I asked him to look into this” he explained.

“And you found something?” Taemin asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked at the manila file in his hand. Chan shook his head.

“No, I didn't, and I'm not showing you this, but it is addressed to Detective Paul and ADA Lee. So if you were to request it from his office because maybe you saw it in a precinct evidence log, he would have to produce it” he explained as he handed over the file to Taemin.

“And what is this that you're not showing us?” Taeyong asked, motioning to the file.

“A letter Michelle's first grade teacher wrote. It says Michelle came to her crying because her mother made her lie to the police” Jaehyun replied.

“And this letter was sent before the trial started?” Yuta asked.

“I suppose Lee forwarded the letter, but Thompson’s defense didn’t use it” Chan replied. Sicheng shook his head.

“That’s just dumb” he grumbled.

“Agreed” Chan agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	4. Case 1: Perverted Justice - Part 4

After Taemin met with the rest of Taeyong’s team, he and Taeyong headed to 1 Hogan Place, where Mark Lee’s office was located. He and Taeyong then headed into the conference room of the building, where Mark, Lee a tall young man with light skin, brown hair, and brown eyes had just finished a meeting. As the other members of the office walked out, Taeyong and Taemin walked in.

“Hyung, how's life in Asmaye?” Mark greeted as he shook Taemin’s hand. Taemin smiled.

“Nice to see you, Counselor” he replied before he motioned to Taeyong.

“This is Captain Lee” he introduced. Mark looked over at Taeyong and smiled.

“I've heard good things” he stated.

“Well, then we're even” Taeyong replied with a smile. Taemin then handed Mark the case file containing the Thompson case, which he opened.

“Ah, the Thompson case. My first win as lead prosecutor. The jury deliberated for half an hour, found him guilty on all charges, open and shut” Mark declared with a smile. Taemin then smiled at him and shook his head.

“Oh, you know me, Mark. Absolutes give me hives” he stated. Mark chuckled and shook his head.

“The jury believed the victim” he replied before he looked over at Taeyong.

“I would think that would give you comfort, Lieutenant” he stated. Taeyong huffed.

“Usually, it does, but the girl is now claiming that she was forced to lie. By her mother” he explained. Mark raised an eyebrow.

“Again?” he asked.

“So you knew that she had recanted before?” Taemin asked, frowning at him. Mark nodded.

“As a teenager, she came to the police. She said she was sorry. The detective thought she might've been on drugs. He didn't find her credible” he explained.

“But Michelle also told her first grade teacher that she lied, and that was before the trial. Now, the teacher wrote a letter to you and Detective Paul detailing the disclosure” Taeyong stated.

“I don't need to tell you that such a letter would be exculpatory” Taemin added. Mark chuckled.

“No, you don’t” he replied.

“I read the transcript. Her letter was never mentioned by the defense” Taemin stated. Mark huffed and crossed his arms.

“Well, you should ask the defense about that” he replied before he narrowed his eyes at Taemin.

“I hope you're not accusing me of prosecutorial misconduct” he warned.

“Are you saying you turned that letter over to the defense?” Taemin asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Absolutely! In 1998, the attorney's name was Cassie Muir, and I have no idea why she didn't bring it up at trial” Mark replied before he looked Taemin and Taeyong in the eyes.

“James Thompson raped his daughter. If he has regrets about that now, if his daughter has decided she suddenly misses him, that's a family tragedy, but it doesn't make him innocent” he declared. 

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, Donghyuck and Jaehyun went to go speak to the defense attorney that worked the Thompson case all those years ago.

“We spoke on the phone, Ms. Muir. The James Thompson case” Donghyuck stated politely to the woman who answered the door.

“Oh, my experience as a practicing lawyer is part of my past I choose to revisit as seldom as possible” Cassie explained as she let Donghyuck and Jaehyun inside.

“So you don't practice anymore?” Jaehyun asked, raising an eyebrow.

“No, I did get disbarred in '09, although they never filed a complaint. They said they sent a certified letter, but I never got it, so by the time I could fight it, they'd already made up their minds” Cassie explained as she led Donghyuck and Jaehyun into her rather messy home office.

“Okay, well, we're here about a different letter” Donghyuck stated as he opened up the manila envelope he was carrying and took out the letter Michelle wrote when she was little, handing it over to Cassie.

“Oh, this is about the James Thompson case” Cassie murmured when she glanced at the letter.

“So you do remember?” Jaehyun asked, crossing his arms. Cassie nodded as she placed the letter on top of a stack of files on her desk before she quickly began scrounging around her desk, looking for her old case files.

“Oh, of course I do. The allegations were horrific, but even a pedophile is entitled to a defense” she replied as she continued searching.

“Do you think he was guilty?” Donghyuck asked. Cassie chuckled softly as she stopped searching to look back at them.

“Oh, honey, they were all guilty” she replied. Jaehyun huffed.

“Okay. Well, we found this letter. It's from Michelle's first grade teacher. It says that her mother was coaching her to lie” he explained.

“Uh-huh” Cassie replied, looking down at the letter again. With that reply, Jaehyun and Donghyuck frowned at her.

“So do you remember getting that from the DA's office?” Jaehyun asked. Cassie was quiet for a moment before she smiled and nodded.

“Oh, Mark Lee and I may have been adversaries, but he always treated me with respect, so yes, of course, I remember getting that letter” she replied as she handed the letter back to Donghyuck.

“The teacher told us that you never followed up with her. Can you tell us why?” he asked. Cassie was quiet again before she smiled weakly.

“Well, I'm sure I had a good reason. You must put a letter like that in the context of your whole defense. Juries get upset. It could backfire if you go at a young girl too hard” she explained. Donghyuck and Jaehyun stared at her for a moment before they looked at one another, sharing a look.

~*~*~*~*~

“So Daddy's attorney had that letter?” Michelle exclaimed as she, Taemin, James, and Reverend Scott all sat around a table at the prison.

“She never even tried to talk to your teacher, Mrs. Morgan” Reverend Scott replied.

“Your teacher also says that she sent a letter to the lead detective” Taemin added. 

“So what do we do now?” James asked.

“I'll be filing a motion for 440 hearing on grounds of ineffective assistance of counsel. The best case scenario your conviction is vacated, and Kim agrees to drop the charges” Taemin replied. James huffed and rolled his eyes.

“Lee. He hates me. I can't get my hopes up on a scenario” he exclaimed.

“I can't promise an outcome, but Judge Rosenbaum is hearing the case. She's a progressive, outspoken on reforming the system. Her track record tends to favor the defense in appeals” Taemin explained.

“Mr. Lee is telling us we got a good shot. Just…have faith, Daddy” Michelle assured. Reverend Scott smiled at her.

“I couldn't have said it better myself” he praised.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	5. Case 1: Perverted Justice - Part 5

The next day, Taemin was walking up the concrete stairs to the supreme court when Mark ran up the stairs to meet him.

“Hyung” he called out. Taemin paused and waited for the man to catch up to him before he frowned.

“Oh, you look cheerful considering Judge Rosenbaum is about to vacate all charges against my client” he murmured. Mark smiled.

“You haven’t heard? Judge Rosenbaum suffered a mini-stroke last night. It’s a shame” he explained. Taemin frowned.

“Yes, it is” he agreed before he cleared his throat.

“I'm willing to postpone” he offered. Mark shook his head.

“There is no telling when she will be back. Case has already been reassigned; Bertuccio” he stated before he continued to bound up the stairs, his black trench coat flapping behind him.

“Win some, lose some, hyung!” he called out. Taemin stopped walking and stared up at the man with wide eyes.

“That son of a bitch” he growled before he rushed up the steps after the man.

~*~*~*~*~

Up in the courthouse, Taeyong was waiting by the courtroom door when he saw Taemin walk towards him, a look of annoyance on his face.

“Hyung, everything all right?” he asked, pushing off the wall. Taemin growled softly.

“There's been a change in the judge for the case that might not be in our favor” he explained as he and Taeyong walked into the courtroom, over to the defense side, where Reverend Scott, Michelle, and another man were sitting.

“Taemin, this is Michelle's brother, Will” Reverend Scott introduced. Taemin smiled and shook the man’s hand, noting that the man looked a little nervous.

“So glad that you're here” he stated kindly. Will smiled weakly.

“Thank you for helping my father” he thanked. Taemin nodded as he moved to sit next to James Thompson while Taeyong moved to sit behind Michelle, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, which she in return gave a squeeze.

“All rise” the bailiff called out as the judge walked into the room.

“Thank you all for waiting, and you may be seated” the judge stated as he sat down.

“Approach, Your Honor?” Taemin called out. The judge shrugged.

“Whatever you need, Mr. Kim” he replied. Mark sighed as he and Taemin walked up to the judge’s bench.

“Your Honor, it's my understanding that you were just assigned this case. Might I suggest a postponement?” Taemin asked as he and Mark approached the bench. The judge frowned.

“Why? Who's not prepared?” he demanded.

“The people are, Your Honor” Mark answered. The judge shrugged again.

“Well, I read the paperwork. I'm good” he stated before he looked at Taemin.

“Mr. Kim, you need a postponement?” he asked. Taemin shook his head.

“No, Your Honor” he answered. The judge nodded.

“Well, then step back” he ordered. Taemin and Mark nodded as they walked back to their own bench.

“People versus James Thompson. I have a 440 motion” the judge called out.

“Your Honor, we have a letter probative of the defendant's innocence that was never shown to the jury by defense” Taemin stated, making Mark roll his eyes discretely.

“And that's in the file, Mr. Kim?” the judge asked. Taemin nodded.

“Yes sir” he replied. The judge nodded as he looked through the file.

“Ah. A letter from Ms. Thompson's first grade teacher” he stated before looking up at Mark.

“Mr. Lee?” he asked. Mark sighed.

“Your Honor, counsel did indeed have the letter and chose not to introduce it. I suspect the judge would have ruled it as hearsay. Even if it were admitted, it strains credulity; it would have swayed the jury's unanimous decision on all counts” he answered. The judge hummed.

“All right, just to be clear, she told her teacher she was coached by her mother to lie?” he asked.

“A recantation she adamantly maintains” Taemin answered.

“But she testified to the rape at trial after she spoke to her teacher” Mark interrupted.

“We believe that testimony at trial was given under maternal pressure” Taemin argued.

“Looking at this letter, it may have been sufficient to cast reasonable doubt on her testimony. However, it was up to the defense to introduce it, and I'm curious as to why the defendant didn't bring up the issue of inadequate counsel at the time. My fear is that this appeal is conveniently timed to the victim's recent recant. The failure to introduce this letter alone does not rise to the level of lack of effective counsel. The motion is denied” the judge declared before he looked over at James.

“Mr. Thompson, you are remanded back to Green Haven Correctional, and this hearing is adjourned” he added before he slammed down the gavel. James put his face in his hands while Michelle shook her head.

“Daddy, I'm sorry. I'm sorry” she apologized before turning to Taemin.

“Look, you got to do something” she begged. Will shook his head.

“Michelle, he tried” he soothed.

“Another appeal” Michelle begged. Taemin shook his head as he turned to face her.

“I don't know that we can” he apologized. Michelle shook her head.

“No. No. You got my hopes up. You got my Daddy's hopes up, my little brother's for nothing. I never should've trusted you, any of you” she snarled before she stormed out of the courtroom. Taeyong and Taemin looked at one another with frowns on their faces before they sighed heavily.

~*~*~*~*~

After the trial, Taeyong went to a bar and sat at the bar, sipping a bourbon on ice.

“Happy hour started early?” Taemin asked as he and Jaehyun stepped into the bar. The two men then walked over and sat down on either side of the Captain, ordering the same thing that he was drinking.

“No good deed” Taeyong grumbled, making Taemin hum in agreement.

“How’s Michelle?” Jaehyun asked, hearing about what happened at the trial from Taemin when he went to the precinct to pick him up.

“Reverend Scott is with her. He doesn't want her to spiral down” Taemin answered.

“So the case is dead?” Taeyong asked. Taemin shook his head.

“It's on life support. We've exhausted the state appeals. The last recourse is to file a Federal Habeas Corpus petition” he explained. Jaehyun frowned.

“You'd need new evidence for that” he mused as he took a sip of his bourbon.

“Well, if there is any, I don't know where it's been hiding all this time” Taemin grumbled. Taeyong hummed as his phone just buzzed with a text message. He picked up his phone and stared at it, humming.

“Yuta just texted. Paul's in town” he declared. Taemin frowned.

“The original detective? I thought he wasn't returning our calls” he murmured. Jaehyun chuckled.

“He wasn't. Chan reached out. He said he was worried that some nutjob, Lee Taemin, was looking to reopen the case” he teased. Taemin blinked in surprise.

“So Paul's coming in to help APD make sure it stays buried?” he asked. Jaehyun and Taeyong shrugged.

“Guess so” they replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	6. Case 1: Perverted Justice - Part 6

The next day, Chan met the lead detective from the case twenty years ago, Aidan Paul, in the APD detective’s bullpen.

“Good to see you, Aidan” Chan greeted with a smile. Aidan smiled.

“Good to see you, Chris” he replied as he and Chan walked into the conference room where Donghyuck was waiting.

“Lee Donghyuck. Nice to meet you” Donghyuck greeted as he handed Chan and Aidan cups of coffee before he shook Aidan’s hand.

“Hey, so what can you tell us about this piece of crap, James Thompson?” he asked as he pulled his hand away from Aidan’s. Aidan sighed.

“He's the lowest of the low; did his own daughter. Project Innocence, huh? I know they're bleeding hearts, but you'd think they'd steer clear” he grumbled. Donghyuck sighed and shrugged his shoulders.

“Well, his daughter hit bottom, found Jesus, and the right Reverend Curtis Scott” he replied. Aidan scoffed.

“Ah, that charlatan. Now I get it” he sneered. Chan chuckled.

“He plays Kim. Kim plays his new friends at City Hall—” he started.

“And here we are” Donghyuck finished, motioning for Aidan to sit down. Aidan shook his head.

“This city…same crap, different century” he grumbled before he looked at Chan.

“So, what’s going on?” he asked. Chan sighed.

“Well…the girl is claiming that her mother made her lie” he explained. Aidan frowned.

“Audrey? She would never. She had her troubles, but she was just trying to protect those kids from that pedophile. She's all broken up about this” he replied. Donghyuck and Chan glanced at one another before Donghyuck looked at Aidan.

“So you spoke to Audrey Jones?” he asked. Aidan nodded.

“Yeah. I mean, she called me when you guys started poking around. After what she went through, she still looks to me when she needs a reality check” he explained. Chan frowned.

“So you stayed in touch after the case?” he asked. 

“And before. I broke up domestic disputes there more times than I can count. The guy had a history. Escalated from slapping his wife around to raping his kid” Aidan replied. Donghyuck was silent before he hummed.

“Well, his defense found some letter sent to you from a teacher saying Audrey made Michelle lie” he stated. Aidan shook his head.

“Not a chance. James has made a career out of convincing that poor kid he didn't do to her what he did. And now she's recanting. It shows you what a sick, controlling, waste of life he is” he spat. Chan and Donghyuck looked at one another before Chan shrugged.

“It's what we figured” he replied before he stood up and walked over to Aidan, holding out a hand.

“Okay, Aidan. Thanks again” he thanked. Aidan nodded as he stood up and shook Chan’s hand.

“All right. Either of you guys make it down to Truoji, I'll take you deep sea fishing, huh?” he asked with a smile. Chan smiled.

“Sure” he replied, lying through his teeth, before looking over at Donghyuck and smiling slightly.

“I'd like to stick around, but Felix roped me into a matinee” he explained as he followed Aidan out of the conference room. Donghyuck nodded, watching the two men leave before he frowned.

_‘Something’s not right…’_ he thought to himself.

~*~*~*~*~

After speaking with Chan and Aidan, Donghyuck went to go tell the rest of the team what he discovered.

“Wait, so the detective working the case keeps in touch with the ex-wife of the accused?” Yuta asked.

“It's awfully cozy” Jaehyun grumbled.

“Well, how many domestics did he respond to?” Taemin asked. 

“Three. The last one, a week before the accusation” Sicheng answered.

“What do we know about Paul's personal life?” Taeyong demanded, crossing his arms.

“Well, I'm gonna guess drinking, messy home situation?” Donghyuck offered. Yuta nodded.

“Yup, his wife filed for a divorce two years after the case. She died a year ago” he stated. Taemin hummed.

“Can you pull up that divorce petition?” he asked. Sicheng nodded.

“I’m already on it…” he replied before he smiled and turned the computer around, showing his screen.

“Here we go” he declared. Jaehyun, Taeyong, and Taemin walked over to the screen, peering at it.

“Grounds cited: 174, adultery. Co-respondent, Audrey Jones” Taeyong read aloud.

“So the detective on the case was sleeping with the wife of the guy he arrested. That might've been good for a jury to know, right?” Donghyuck asked. Taeyong hummed as he looked over at Taemin.

“New evidence. Am I right, Counselor?” he asked. Taemin shrugged.

“Yeah, it's a start, but we'd need to establish the relationship began before the trial” he stated. Donghyuck clucked his tongue and shook his head.

“Oh, Paul won't come clean on that” he grumbled.

“And hotbox Audrey won't either” Jaehyun added.

“Michelle and Will, six and four. Pretty young” Yuta mused.

“You'd be surprised. Kids pick up on more than you realize” Taeyong replied. Jaehyun shook his head.

“Michelle's fragile as it is. Who wants to ask her these kinds of questions?” he asked. No one said anything but they all did look over at Taeyong, whose eyes widened before he sighed deeply.

“Alright, fine” he grumbled.

~*~*~*~*~

In Reverend Scott’s office, Reverend Scott, Taeyong, Will, and Michelle were all sitting down and talking.

“Do you two know a Detective Aidan Paul?” Taeyong asked. Will frowned.

“Detective Paul? Yeah, he came around a lot when Dad went away” he answered. Taeyong raised an eyebrow.

“He'd come to your apartment?” he asked. Michelle nodded.

“Yeah, Mama said he was looking after us. I just thought that's what cops did” she explained.

“Do you remember the first time you met him?” Taeyong asked. Will shook his head.

“No” he replied. Michelle nodded.

“I do. Before Christmas, Mama and Daddy were fighting. She knocked the tree over, and Daddy shoved her away. She called 911” she explained.

“And Detective Paul responded” Taeyong stated. Michelle nodded.

“Yeah” she answered.

“Do you remember anything about the way he behaved around your mother?” Reverend Scott asked.

“She was crying; I think he hugged her” Michelle answered. Taeyong was silent for a moment before he hummed and leaned forward in his chair.

“Okay, do you remember any other physical contact between them?” he asked. Will frowned.

“Why are you asking us this?” he demanded. Before Taeyong could answer, Reverend Scott spoke for him.

“Captain Lee may have found evidence that your mother was involved with Detective Paul” he explained. Michelle and Will’s eyes widened.

“They were together?” Michelle exclaimed.

“Oh, my God” Will whispered. Taeyong shook his head and held up a calming hand.

“We're not sure” he soothed before he cleared his throat.

“Do you either of you remember a time when they may have left together?” he asked.

“Yes, she went away once for a weekend. It was after Daddy was in jail. I remember we went to Grandma's” Michelle immediately answered. Will nodded.

“Oh, yeah, she brought us back the snow globe and the pink flamingo” he added.

“So this is while your father was in jail, but before the trial?” Taeyong asked. Michelle shook her head and shut her eyes.

“I'm trying to remember” she answered before she sighed deeply.

“I don't know. I'm sorry” she apologized. Taeyong shook his head.

“It's okay. It's okay. I know this is difficult” he soothed. He then looked over at Reverend Scott and nodded before he stood up and walked out of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	7. Case 1: Perverted Justice - Part 7

Back at the APD, after Taeyong spoke to the others about what he told Will and Michelle, Jaehyun called a meeting to discuss what they were going to do next.

“So Aidan and Audrey had known each other six months by the time of the trial” he stated.

“Can we prove that the relationship was romantic?” Taeyong asked.

“Yeah, we can prove they were both in Key West on the same weekend in May” Sicheng answered.

“Go on” Taemin ordered.

“That weekend, Detective Paul was picking up a perp at Monroe County Detention” Donghyuck stated.

“Oh, weekend getaway on the taxpayer's dime” Taeyong replied sarcastically.

“We know Audrey was there how?” Taemin asked. 

“I called the Monroe County Sheriff's Office. Guess who was charged with disorderly intoxication that same weekend?” Yuta stated.

“Audrey Jones” Donghyuck answered.

“She pleaded down to a dis-con the next day” Jaehyun added. Donghyuck shrugged.

“My guess, that's when Paul intervened” he stated. Taeyong shook his head.

“So these two were hooking up while James Thompson is awaiting trial” he grumbled. Sicheng shook his head.

“They railroaded him” he snapped while Donghyuck looked over at Taemin.

“I mean, that's got to be enough for a Federal Habeas Corpus, am I right? I mean, maybe even ADA Lee just drops the charges altogether” he suggested. Taemin sighed and shook his head.

“Hey, you can ask, but don't hold your breath” he grumbled.

~*~*~*~*~

The next day, at James Thompson’s trial, Mark and Taemin were at it again.

“Audrey Jones was in Key West the same weekend as Detective Paul one month prior to James Thompson's trial” Taemin stated.

“That’s called coincidence, not conspiracy. The detective was there on police business” Mark interrupted.

“Well, perhaps, but we believe that police business provided him the cover to fly in Ms. Jones for a romantic weekend” Taemin argued.

“There is absolutely no proof of that” Mark exclaimed.

“It's just common sense. Audrey Jones was named as the sole co-respondent in Nora Paul's divorce papers. Detective Paul never should've been allowed to testify against the man that he was cuckolding. The defense was deprived the opportunity to question his motive” Taemin snapped. The judge was quiet for a moment before he nodded.

“I agree with you, Mr. Lee. Given this evidence, I will grant the petition for Habeas Corpus. Mr. Thompson will be held pending retrial” he declared before he slammed down the gavel. Michelle immediately stood up from her seat, tears in her eyes.

“Wait, it worked? Daddy, it's really happening. Come here!” she exclaimed, throwing her arms around her father. The officer then pulled James away, making Michelle look at him in confusion while he looked over at Taemin with a frown on his face.

“Retrial? Why didn't he just drop all the charges?” he demanded, making Taemin hold up a hand.

“One step at a time” he urged.

“This trial will be different, Dad. We'll be right there with you” Will assured.

“With the new evidence, it's possible that the jury will find reasonable doubt” Taeyong added.

“Congratulations, Counselor, and you too, Mr. Thompson. I’m sure you’re eager to move on with your life” Mark called out as he walked over to the defense side of the court.

“What can we do for you, Mark?” Taemin asked. Mark smiled slightly.

“How would your client feel about skipping a retrial altogether?” he replied. James looked over at his daughter in shock while Taemin frowned.

“What are you offering?” he asked. 

“Criminal sexual act in the first degree. We agree to time served. Just think about it” Mark answered before he turned and walked away. Once he was gone, James looked over at Taemin with a frown.

“What does that mean?” he demanded. Taemin smirked.

“The DA wants to save face” he answered.

“So? He'll let you out of jail” Michelle interjected.

“Yeah, but I'd have a felony on my record” James snapped, glaring at his daughter.

“And you'd stay on the Sex Offender Registry” Taeyong added.

“You'd have to admit to your guilt in open court as part of the plea deal” Taemin stated.

“And I can't take that back” James exclaimed.

“Mr. Thompson, if you take Mr. Lee’s offer, you will spare your daughter from being cross-examined on the stand” Reverend Scott stated, trying to calm the man down.

“He'd really take this to trial again?” James exclaimed.

“He really believes that you're guilty” Taeyong answered.

“It's easier than accepting he put an innocent man in jail for 17 years” Taemin added.

“No, all this time, all I've had is the fact that I'm innocent, and I would never hurt my daughter, and he can't ask me to say I did!” James exclaimed.

“He could keep you in prison for the rest of your life” Reverend Scott reminded.

“Daddy, please” Michelle begged. James shook his head.

“No, it's the truth that's supposed to set you free, not a lie” he spat before he was handcuffed and led out of the courtroom. Michelle let out a choked sigh as she placed her hand on the back of her little brother’s head while Taeyong placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!
> 
> Also, all of y'all best be streaming Make a Wish and From Home, which was just released today. Y'all best be streaming!!


	8. Case 1: Perverted Justice - CASE CLOSED

The next morning, Taeyong and Taemin were walking to the courthouse when they saw Mark walking towards them.

“Morning Counselor” Taeyong called out to the man. Mark nodded.

“Lieutenant Lee, Mr. Lee” he replied as he walked next to the two men. He then looked over at Taemin.

“Well, your defendant wanted his day in court. I hope he’s ready for it” he stated. Taemin smirked.

“Oh, he is. He's been thinking about it for 17 years” he replied. Mark tsked and shook his head.

“Well, it didn’t have to come to this. I offered him a way out” he reminded. Taeyong shook his head and let out a soft chuckle.

“When a man refuses to plead guilty to get out of jail, that should tell you something” he stated. Mark scoffed.

“It tells me he’s pathological narcissist. If he really cared about his children, _his daughter_ , he wouldn’t put her through this. He’s not worried about her. He’s worried about his name, his ego” he grumbled. Taemin barked out a laugh.

“Ego…it's funny you should mention that” he sneered. Taeyong looked over at him with narrowed eyes.

“Hyung…” he warned. Mark shook his head.

“No, no, no. Let Mr. Lee speak his mind. It’s his favorite activity” he replied.

“No one likes to admit to a mistake, but James Thompson suffered a horrible miscarriage of justice, and we have the opportunity to right a terrible wrong” Taemin stated, making Taeyong and Mark stop walking. Mark frowned.

“We?” he replied, almost scandalized before he shook his head.

“It is not up to a DA, a lawyer, or even a judge to determine guilt or innocence. It’s up to the jury” he stated before he looked Taeyong and Taemin in the eye, his own brown eyes flashing.

“Good luck” he bid before he turned and walked away.

~*~*~*~*~

Up in the courtroom, Audrey Jones was the first person to take the stand, with Mark examining her. In the audience, Will, Reverend Scott, Jaehyun, Taeyong, and Donghyuck were sitting and listening.

“My daughter was crying when I came home. I asked her why. She said, _"Daddy hurt me with his pee pee”_ ” she explained. 

“And what did you do then?” Mark asked.

“That next morning, after James left, I called the police, and we made sure we got Michelle to a doctor” Audrey answered.

“Can you tell me the name of the investigating officer?” Mark asked. Audrey nodded.

“Detective Paul” she replied. Mark hummed.

“And Detective Paul was someone you already knew?” he asked.

“Yes, he had responded to several domestic violence calls. Back then, James and I used to really go at it, but what we did to each other was nothing compared to what he did to Michelle that night” Audrey explained.

“Why did you form a relationship with Detective Paul?” Mark asked. Audrey shrugged.

“I knew me and my children needed protection. After that night, the only thing on my mind was making sure that my children were safe” she replied. Mark nodded.

“Thank you, Ms. Jones” he thanked as he turned and walked back to his bench. Taemin then stood up and walked over to the stand.

“You were involved with Detective Paul. You spent the weekend with him in Truoji, which we know because you received a citation for drunk and disorderly. Was that vacation before or after your ex-husband's trial?” he demanded.

“Before, but that had nothing to do with this case” Audrey answered. Taemin frowned.

“If that's true, why didn't you or Detective Paul disclose your relationship to the DA or your husband's defense counsel?” he demanded. Audrey sighed.

“He was married. It was wrong, but we didn't want his wife to find out” she explained. Taemin hummed.

“Or maybe you were afraid that if the jury knew about your relationship, they would've believe either of you” he offered. 

“Objection” Mark called out. Taemin held up a hand.

“Withdrawn” he replied before he crossed his arms.

“The night you claim your daughter was assaulted, what time did you come home?” he asked. Audrey shook her head.

“I'm not sure” she replied.

“Had you been drinking?” Taemin asked. Audrey nodded.

“Yes. I'm not proud about that” she answered. Taemin hummed.

“It was late. You'd been drinking. Did you get into a fight with your husband?” he inquired.

“Yes” Audrey replied.

“And immediately after that, your daughter supposedly disclosed to you that her father had assaulted her?” Taemin demanded. 

“She was hurt. She was…she was crying” Audrey stammered. Taemin frowned.

“Yet you didn't seek medical attention for her or call the police that night” he added calmly.

“I wanted to wait until my husband was out of the house” Audrey replied.

“The next morning, when you knew Detective Paul would be on duty” Taemin reminded.

“I wanted to wait until my husband was out of the house” Audrey growled.

“Did Detective Paul suggest to you that if you wanted to get your husband out of your life, accusing him of sexual assault was a far more potent weapon than a domestic violence charge?” Taemin asked, raising an eyebrow.

“No. No” Audrey argued. Taemin’s eyebrow raised even higher.

“So you came up with that idea on your own?” he deduced.

“Objection” Mark called out again. Taemin was quiet for a moment before he hummed.

“Withdrawn” he replied quietly.

~*~*~*~*~

After Audrey was removed from the stand, James was the one who took the stand next.

“I wasn't the best father. I didn't make enough money. I worked long hours. I couldn't always be there” he testified. Taemin hummed.

“But you tried to be?” he asked. James nodded.

“Yeah. I did the best I could to raise my children. My wife she wasn't interested in that, not after she turned to drugs and alcohol” he explained. Taemin hummed again.

“Is that why you kept in touch with your children from prison?” he asked. James nodded again.

“Yes. They needed parenting, even if it was just through letters” he answered.

“So once again, on the night in question, did you sexually assault your daughter Michelle?” Taemin questioned. James shook his head.

“Absolutely not” he answered. Taemin nodded and walked back to his bench while Mark stood up from his and walked over to the stand.

“When the police initially questioned you about your daughter's injuries, the semen on her pajamas, did you accuse your wife of planting it?” he asked. James shook his head.

“I only said that because the police lied to me. There was no semen” he answered. Mark raised an eyebrow.

“Why didn’t you just say that?” he asked. James gritted his teeth.

“Because I was trying to make sense of it” he snapped. Mark sighed and shook his head.

“Mr. Thompson, the only reason that we’re here is because your daughter is now recanting her original statement. You testified to writing her letters. In those letters, did you ask her to help you get out of prison?” he asked. 

“Yes, because –” James started.

“Do you think it’s possible that she’s recanting now because you manipulated her into it?” Mark interrupted. James shook his head.

“I only asked her to tell the truth” he answered. Mark frowned.

“Had she not done that already to DAs, to detectives, to the jury, under oath?” he asked.

“My ex told her to say those things” James spat.

“And now you are telling her to say other things” Mark mused.

“Objection” Taemin called out.

“Sustained” the judge answered. Mark said nothing before he walked back to his bench and sat down. 

~*~*~*~*~

James was then led off the stand before Michelle was asked to take the stand. Once she took the stand, Taemin stood up and walked over to the stand and asked for Michelle to start testifying.

“When Detective Paul got there, my mother made me tell him that I'd been raped, but that wasn't the truth” she started.

“Then why did you continue to say it even months later at trial?” Taemin asked calmly.

“I was six. I was scared of my mother. I did what she told me to do. I've regretted it every day of my life” Michelle answered. Taemin nodded.

“Thank you, Ms. Thompson” he thanked before he walked back to his bench as Mark stood up, grabbing a sheet of paper as he walked over to the stand.

“You say your father didn’t rape you, yet in your original testimony, you claimed otherwise. Will you read this for the jury?” he asked, handing the sheet to Michelle. Michelle looked at the sheet and glanced up at Mark before she sighed.

_“Daddy hurt me. He tucked me in, and then he tried to put his penis in my vagina. It hurt a lot. Then he put his finger inside me”_ she read before she handed the sheet back to Mark.

“Do you recall saying those words?” Mark asked. Michelle nodded.

“Yes. I was forced to” she answered. Mark hummed.

“In a recent interview with the APD, you said you burned your hand that night trying to cook hot dogs” he stated. Michelle nodded again.

“Yes, my dad blamed my mom for leaving us alone. He got angry” she replied. Mark raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, do you remember that?” he asked.

“I remember hearing them fight” Michelle answered.

“Do you remember which hand was burned?” Mark asked. Michelle nodded.

“My right hand. It hurt a lot” she replied. Mark hummed.

“But when you went to visit a doctor the next morning, she examined the bruises on your thighs, yet made no note of a hand injury. Did you forget to tell her?” he asked.

“I was there because my mom made me say I'd been raped” Michelle answered.

“Is it possible that you never burned your hand at all, but your father convinced you that this happened?” Mark demanded. Michelle shook her head.

“I don't think so” she answered.

“But it is possible that your mother convinced you that you were raped, even though you say _that_ never happened? Or maybe it’s just easier to believe that your father didn’t rape you” Mark stated.

“Objection” Taemin called out.

“Sustained” the judge answered.

“Did your father hurt you that night?” Mark asked calmly. Michelle shook her head.

“I know he didn't” she replied. Mark raised an eyebrow.

“You know he didn't or do you remember he didn't?” he sneered. Michelle shook her head again.

“I don't remember him doing anything” she replied.

“Which is not the same as remembering that he did not do anything. Is this a story you have been told to remember?” Mark demanded.

“What?” Michelle asked, confused. Mark looked at her calmly, brown eyes dark.

“I am gonna ask you one more time, Ms. Thompson, and I’m gonna remind you that you are under oath. Did your father rape you? Did your father rape you?” he asked.

“I don't know. I was six” Michelle replied tearily before she looked over at James.

“I can't—Daddy, I'm so sorry” she apologized. Mark said nothing but look at the judge and raise his hands in a “I surrender” manner and backed away from the stand, heading to his bench.

“Redirect, Your Honor” Taemin asked. The judge nodded.

“I'll allow it” she replied. Taemin then stood up and walked over to the stand.

“Michelle, I know it took a lot for you to come up here and testify today. Just now, did you feel as if Mr. Lee was bullying you?” he asked gently.

“Yes” Michelle answered weakly.

“Did that confuse you? Did you give him the answer that you thought he wanted to hear so that he would stop?” Taemin asked.

“Yes” Michelle answered.

“Similar to what happened to you with your mother when you were six?” Taemin asked, raising an eyebrow.

“That's right” Michelle answered.

“Did your father ever do that to you before you recanted?” Taemin asked. Michelle shook her head.

“No, not at all” she replied. Taemin hummed.

“In fact, after your father was taken away, you tried to tell the truth to your teacher, to Detective Paul, and to ADA Lee” he stated.

“Yes, but they wouldn't listen” Michelle exclaimed. Taemin held up a calming hand.

“I'm listening, Michelle” he soothed before he looked into her brown eyes.

“Did your father rape you that night?” he asked. Michelle shook her head.

“No. No, he didn't” she answered. Taemin nodded.

“Thank you” he thanked.

~*~*~*~*~

After a recess was called, Michelle immediately marched outside for a smoke, Taeyong and Jaehyun heading out after her.

“Michelle, you alright?” Taeyong called out after they found her sitting on one of the steps out of the way of people’s visions.

“What happened to me up there?” Michelle demanded, looking over at the Captain and Lieutenant as they sat down on either side of her.

“Lee kept going at you until you said what he wanted you to say, but Mr. Lee is gonna make sure that the jury saw that for what it was” Jaehyun answered. Michelle shook her head.

“If you say so. When I was up there, I started wondering: am I doing all this for my father or for me? You have no idea what it's like having everyone think that my father did that to me. I used to say he was dead. I just want that part of my life to be over” she whimpered. Taeyong nodded sincerely.

“It is. You made sure that the truth was heard this time” he assured. Michelle scoffed.

“Right, the truth. The truth is, I don't really remember” she admitted before she threw away her cigarette and stood up, walking back towards the courthouse. Taeyong and Jaehyun blinked in surprise before they looked at one another in shock.

“What have we done?” Jaehyun whispered. Taeyong shook his head.

“I don’t know” he replied.

~*~*~*~*~

Back in the courtroom, the judge looked over at the jury.

“Ladies and gentleman of the jury, have you reached a verdict?” she asked. The elected speaker of the jury nodded.

“We have, Your Honor. On the charge of rape in the first degree, we find the defendant, James Thompson, not guilty” the woman answered.

“Yes” James exclaimed. The judge nodded while James and Taemin hugged. Meanwhile, on the prosecutor’s side of the bench, Mark just sighed deeply and leaned his head back, shutting his eyes.

“The State of Asmaye thanks you for your service” she stated before she looked over at James.

“James Thompson, if there are no holds, you are free to go” she declared before she slammed the gavel down. While James went to go hug his son and the reverend, Taemin walked over to Donghyuck, Taeyong, and Jaehyun, smiling at them.

“Thank you, Taeyong. We did the right thing” he thanked. Taeyong, Donghyuck, and Jaehyun smiled tightly at him before they all looked over at Michelle and James as they hugged and Taeyong noticed a single tear slipping from Michelle’s left eye as she looked back at him.

“Did we?” he asked, making Taemin look over at him in shock.

“What?” he replied, shocked. Taeyong looked back at him and shook his head.

“Nothing. Ignore me” he ordered before he turned on his heels and walked out of the courtroom, Jaehyun and Donghyuck following after him.

**_CASE CLOSED_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	9. Case 2: Catfishing Teacher - Part 1

It was a typical Monday morning as in an SUV in a school parking lot, a woman was moaning wantonly before laughing, a young male laughter joining him. A few moments later, a young man, a high school student, got out of the SUV, fixing his belt. Inside the SUV, an older woman in her mid-20s to early 30s, was slipping back into her dress before she looked over at the young man.

“Hurry up, Travis, you don’t want to be late” she stated. The young man, Travis, smiled.

“Can you, uh, write me a note?” he asked. The woman let out a chuff and shook her head as Travis shut the SUV door and quickly ran off, hoping to not be late.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Travis ran into school, just as the bell rang, and over to his locker, where his friend was waiting for him.

“You missed lunch. Saved you some” his friend, Jordan Massina, stated, holding up a half-eaten sandwich. Travis chuckled.

“No need. I already ate out” he replied, a teasing note in his voice. Jordan shook his head as the young man next to him, Zach Foster, let out a soft scoff. Jordan and Travis looked over at him, Travis giving him a look.

“What are you laughing at, Zach?” he demanded. Zach looked at him with wide eyes before he shook his head.

“Uh, nothing” he replied. 

“Travis, Jordan” a voice suddenly called out, making the three young men look over to see the principal and the football coach down the hall.

“There’s still two more hours till winter break” the principal stated.

“Yeah, get to class or you’re benched” the coach warned. Travis and Jordan quickly shut their lockers and headed off, Zach shutting his locker as well.

“And Zach? I expect more from you if you’re gonna earn a slot” the coach added as he and the principal headed off, Travis and Jordan following behind them.

“Kid’s never gonna get a slot. On any team” Travis declared to Jordan, who just smirked. Behind them, Zach just kept his eyes downcast, trying not to show how much those words hurt.

~*~*~*~*~

“Oscar Wilde was a man of many secrets. And those secrets influenced his writing; so you’re going to finish the picture of _Dorian Grey_ for your first quiz back in January” the teacher Travis was having sex with declared as she wrote the due date on the board before turning to face the class as the bell rang.

“Now I know you’ll be on vacation but I expect a report on a novel of your choice from each of you when you get back” she instructed as all of the students packed up and headed out. The teacher bid goodbye to each of the students, Zach, Travis, and Jordan the last three to leave.

“Have a great vacation, Mrs. Burnap” Zach bid before he walked out.

“Oh, I will” the teacher, Mrs. Burnap, replied before she turned to Travis and Jordan, stepping forward so that she was standing before Jordan.

“Oh, Jordan, can I steal you for a minute? I need your help” she stated. Jordan frowned.

“Now?” he asked. Travis shot him a look before he turned and walked out as Mrs. Burnap smiled slightly at him.

“Well, I need a ream of paper from the supply closet and it’s on a high shelf” she explained. Jordan blinked at her before he shrugged.

“Yeah” he replied. Mrs. Burnap smiled flirtatiously at him before she turned and walked out of the classroom, Jordan following behind her.

~*~*~*~*~

In the supply closet, Mrs. Burnap had Jordan pressed up against the supply closet shelves, kissing him deeply as she removed his plaid shirt from off his shoulders before removing her own sweater from her shoulders. They continued to kiss heavily until Jordan quickly slipped away, a look of discomfort on his face. Mrs. Burnap let out a husky huff before she smiled and slowly walked over to him.

“Playing hard to get?” she whispered before she placed her hand on his crotch.

“Is that better? Now, let’s see what we can do to get that average up” she stated before she began to kiss him again.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, at Zach’s house, Zach was packing an overnight bag when his phone buzzed. He quickly grabbed his phone and opened it, looking at the message he received.

_Here’s your ticket to hell_

Underneath the text was a pdf labeled “Ticket” and underneath the pdf was a picture of a woman’s boobs. Just then, another text came in.

_I’ll be waiting. See you at the station_

Zach smiled before he quickly closed the app and went to the “phone” app, pressing on his dad’s contact. He then put his phone up to his ear.

“Dad? It’s me. Mom’s on the warpath about your girlfriend again, so it might be a better holiday if you just ignore her when she calls. Talk to you later” he bid before he hung up and continued packing his overnight bag before leaving. 

~*~*~*~*~

At the station, Zach was looking around, waiting for the mysterious person to come pick him up. When he didn’t see anyone, he looked at his phone and frowned. The time read 8:07 pm. He huffed before stuffing his phone back in his pocket, continuing to wait. At 10:33, Zach began to move, pulling out his phone to text the mysterious person. After he sent the text, he continued down the street, getting about halfway through a crosswalk when he was stopped by a cop.

“You lost?” she asked. Zach looked at her and shook his head.

“What? Uh, No. Just waiting for a friend” he replied. 

“Call ‘em. Kids come down to buy drugs sometimes and end up in jail. Safe home” the cop bid before she walked off. Zach watched her leave, just as a car honked to his left, making him look over to see a black SUV flashing its headlights at him as it drove closer. Zach smiled slightly. Finally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	10. Case 2: Catfishing Teacher - Part 2

At SVU, Taeyong and Jaehyun were in their shared office, working on reports when Yuta knocked on the door before entering.

“Hey, sorry to interrupt, but we gotta call about a missing fifteen-year-old boy” he stated. Taeyong frowned and looked up from his work.

“For how long?” he asked.

“Over 48 hours. The local precinct wants us to take a look at it” Yuta replied. Jaehyun nodded.

“Okay, better safe than sorry” he agreed as Taeyong looked at him.

“Take Sicheng and check it out” he instructed. Yuta nodded.

“You got it boss” he replied.

~*~*~*~*~

At Zach Foster’s mother’s apartment, Yuta and Sicheng were standing before Zach’s mother, Serena.

“Zach told me he went skiing; Cole has a timeshare in Vale. He’s always buying the kid’s love” she explained. Yuta frowned.

“Cole is Zach’s dad?” he asked. Serena nodded.

“Yes, we’re divorced. Zach said his father bought him the ticket but he never texted me when he landed then Cole didn’t answer my calls” she replied. Sicheng crossed his arms.

“So Cole had no contact with Zach either?” he asked, frowning. Serena shook her head.

“No. When he finally answered his cell, he said he just flew in on a red-eye with his girlfriend. He’s a pilot, she’s his third flight attendant” she explained. Yuta frowned.

“Did you see Zach leave? Did he pack a bag?” he asked before he turned and headed into Zach’s room. Serena shook her head.

“His duffel bag is gone and his toothbrush” she replied.

“Did he have a laptop? Or an iPad?” Sicheng inquired. Serena shrugged.

“It would be on his desk” she replied.

“It’s not here” Yuta called out from the room. Serena glanced over towards the room before she looked at Sicheng.

“Why are you bombarding me with questions? Shouldn’t you be checking every hospital, every morgue?” she snapped.

“We’re getting to that, ma’am” Yuta soothed as he walked out of Zach’s room. Serena pointed a finger at him.

“Don’t patronize me. That is what Cole does. He thinks I’m overreacting” she exclaimed.

“You are” a voice called out, making Serena, Sicheng, and Yuta look over to see a man in a pilot uniform step through the door, placing a suitcase by the door. 

“Oh, now you get here!” Serena exclaimed. 

“This is ridiculous, Serena. Why would I take Zach over Christmas; it’s the busy travel time of the year” the man, Cole, snapped.

“You took him last year. Oh wait, before you had the girlfriend” Serena sneered. Cole rolled his eyes.

“Seriously?” he started.

“Mr. and Mrs. Foster, your son is missing” Sicheng hissed, growing irritated that he and Yuta had to be caught between this stupid lovers spat. 

“Right, sorry” Cole apologized, Serena nodding in agreement. Sicheng then huffed.

“Alright, we’ll take all the information you can give us. We’ll try and track his cellphone” he stated. Cole shook his head.

“I already tried. I have a locator on it; uh, his phone’s either off or it’s dead” he stated. Serena looked at him in shock.

“You track his phone?” she repeated. 

“We share a Cloud ID” Cole snapped.

“You can check his messages” Yuta reminded, stopping the argument before it got out of hand. Cole blinked before he nodded.

“Oh yeah, I can” he agreed before he pulled out his phone.

“I set it up when I bought the phone for safety” he explained. Yuta frowned.

“You had that and you didn’t check?” he asked. Cole huffed.

“I turned off the notifications like a year ago. You have any idea how many texts kids send?” he replied before he began scrolling through Cole’s texts.

“Okay, there’s like a dozen of them here. Um…looks like he’s sexting a girl” he stated, coming up on the photo that Zach received last night. He then showed the phone to Yuta, who frowned.

“That’s more like a woman” he corrected. Cole then took the phone back, looking at the texts.

 _“I’ll teach you so many things; you’ll be my favorite student?”_ he read aloud. Serena made a noise of disgust.

“So, what is this, some woman took my son?” she demanded as Sicheng held out his hand.

“May I see that a minute?” he asked. Cole nodded and handed him the phone.

 _“Take the LIRR to Jamaica Station. Meet me at the base of the AirTrain entrance. Bring your passport. Let’s fly away”_ he read aloud before handing the phone back. Cole huffed and shook his head.

“He must have gone willingly. I mean, look at her” he stated, showing Serena the photo. 

“It doesn’t matter; he’s 15, she’s not” Yuta snarled. Cole was quiet before he nodded in agreement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	11. Case 2: Catfishing Teacher - Part 3

When Sicheng and Yuta returned to SVU, they briefed the others.

“The last text are about going to the AirTrain. Others are more explicit, accompanied by photos” Sicheng stated.

“And we tracked Zach’s phone?” Taeyong asked as he stood before the TV in the squad room, Jaehyun at his side; both men looking at the photos and texts from Zach’s phone that Sicheng was able to download. 

“Yeah, died at Jamaica Station” Yuta replied.

“And I traced the cell the pics came from; it’s a burner. It only sent texts to Zach then it goes off the grid, but I’m still going through the older texts” Donghyuck added. Jaehyun huffed.

“Whoever this woman is, she knew exactly what she was doing” he grumbled. 

“Never shows her face; no identifying marks or tattoos” Yuta added. Sicheng sighed.

“Well, the texts indicate that she’s older; that she knew him from school. It’s gotta be a teacher from Riverpark Charter High” he declared. Taeyong hummed.

“Okay. We flag his passport?” he asked, glancing over at his team.

“First name. Then I checked TSA. Zach never made it to the airport” Yuta replied. Donghyuck and Sicheng looked at him with horror as Jaehyun placed his hands on his hips, turning to face them.

“So talk to MTA, see if we can get security footage from Jamaica Station” he ordered as Taeyong sighed heavily, turning to face them as well.

“Anything else?” he asked. Donghyuck nodded.

“Yeah, in an earlier text she mentions the names “Travis” and “Jordan”. Says that if Zach wants extra credit, he should ask them about it” he stated. Taeyong nodded.

“Okay, so classmates. Track ‘em down” he ordered. Yuta shook his head.

“Won’t be easy. School’s closed for winter break” he reminded. Jaehyun shook his head.

“Somebody’s got to be around. Let’s start with the principal. Donghyuck, with me” he ordered. Donghyuck nodded.

“Coming” he replied.

~*~*~*~*~

At Principal Bernstein’s house, Donghyuck and Jaehyun stood outside, Jaehyun banging the door. 

“Okay, okay, I'm coming” a voice called out before a few minutes later, a heavier-set man in a Santa hat answered the door.

“How much I owe you?” he asked. Both Jaehyun and Donghyuck flashed their badges.

“Actually, we’re APD” Donghyuck replied as a girl in a black bra and panty came to the door, smiling almost drunkenly.

“Oh, that's how I know you” she declared. Donghyuck eyed her judgingly up and down as Jaehyun looked at the heavier-set man.

“Are you Mr. Bernstein? Principal of Riverpark Charter High School?” he asked. The man, Mr. Bernstein, nodded.

“Yeah, but I’m on vacation” he replied before he turned to the girl.

“Why don't you go call the pizza place, see what's taking so long?” he ordered. The girl nodded and walked away before he turned back to Donghyuck and Jaehyun.

“We’re kind of busy right now. Can this wait?” he asked. Jaehyun shook his head.

“Afraid not. We’re searching for a missing student, Zach Foster?” he replied. Mr. Bernstein frowned.

“Zach? He’s a good kid; is he in trouble?” he asked. 

“Well, we’re not sure. We’ve got reason to believe he’s with this woman” Donghyuck replied, showing Mr. Bernstein a picture of a woman’s breast; one of the photos that was found on Zach’s phone.

“You have any teachers that look like that?” he continued. Mr. Bernstein looked at the photo and shook his head.

“There’s been a lot of turnover in education in the last few years; most of my teachers are young” he explained. Donghyuck huffed.

“Yeah, I’ll bet. So let’s rule out the older ones, the men, anybody fifty pounds heavier and start from there” he stated. 

“She may already be involved with two other students. She told Zach to talk to Travis and Jordan” Jaehyun added. 

“No last names?” Mr. Bernstein asked. Jaehyun shook his head. Mr. Bernstein huffed.

“Travis and Jordan…there’s a few of each but, uh, maybe Travis Barstow and Jordan Massina? They're both on the wrestling team. Zach's the equipment manager” he explained. Jaehyun and Donghyuck nodded.

“Thanks for your time” Jaehyun thanked before he and Donghyuck turned and walked away, Jaehyun pulling out his phone.

“Tae. Yeah, we got names for Travis and Jordan; names are Travis Barstow and Jordan Massina. They might know who the woman in the photo is” he stated before he hung up and headed back to the precinct, Donghyuck following behind.

~*~*~*~*~

Down at a basketball court, Yuta held up his phone and showed the picture of the woman’s boobs to Travis Barstow.

“I don't know who that is” he stated. Yuta frowned.

“She told Zach Foster to ask you about extra credit” he stated. Travis scoffed.

“Zach? No way” he replied, shaking his head.

“Well, he's missing, maybe with her, and he could be in danger” Yuta snapped.

“Yeah, in danger of getting laid” Travis sneered. Yuta glared at him, brown eyes flashing silver.

“This is no joke. You cover for her, you're an accessory to statutory rape” he snarled while Taeyong was talking to Jordan Massina.

“Look, we have the sexts, and we think that she sent the same ones to Zach that she sent to you” he explained. Jordan shook his head.

“Zach's still waiting on puberty. She wouldn't go for him. He's dreaming. She likes guys with muscle” he explained. Taeyong cocked an eyebrow and crossed his arms.

“Like you?” he asked. Jordan shook his head.

“It's not like that” he replied. Taeyong tilted his head to the right.

“What’s it like then?” he asked. Jordan sighed and hung his head.

“I didn't want to; I had to. My grades were slipping. I would have gotten kicked off the wrestling team” he explained. Taeyong hummed.

“Who is she?” he asked. Jordan sighed again.

“Ms. Burnap. Phoebe's her first name. She's our English teacher. She makes me do things to her in the supply closet. That's how I got the perfect grade on my "Leaves of Grass" essay” he explained. Taeyong nodded.

“Thank you Jordan” he thanked before he turned and looked over at Yuta, motioning for him to follow, since they had gotten the information that they wanted.

~*~*~*~*~

“Phoebe Burnap, 27. She’s been at Riverpark for the last year and a half. But before that, three different schools, four years” Taeyong stated as he, Donghyuck, and Mark Lee, the prosecutor from their last case, walked through SVU.

“Fired?” Mark asked. Donghyuck shook his head.

“No, she quit each time. But when I called former administrators, two admitted that they'd heard rumors” he replied. Mark frowned.

“And they did nothing?” he asked. Donghyuck shrugged.

“They said rumors always follow young, pretty teachers” he replied. 

“Boys talk. Hot for teacher. Happens everywhere” Yuta added from where he was sitting at the table in the bullpen.

“Right, but when the teacher follows through—” Taeyong started. 

“That’s rape” Mark finished. 

“Jordan and Travis confirmed that the sexts came from her” Yuta declared. Mark frowned.

“But why would she use her own cell on them and a burner on Zach? I mean, why the change in pattern?” Sicheng asked, crossing his arms as he sat on the edge of the table next to Yuta. Taeyong shrugged.

“Maybe she’s learning. Or she wants to take it to the next level with Zach” he suggested. 

“Either way, we know who he's with. The question is, where are they?” Mark asked. 

“Well, last known whereabouts got him heading east from Jamaica Station Friday night” Donghyuck stated, changing the pictures on the television to the security footage from the station that Zach was last seen at. Jaehyun nodded.

“So widen the scope. See if the teacher turns up on any security cameras outside the station. Start a canvass” he ordered. Sicheng shook his head.

“No need to. I ran her credit cards. She put a deposit down on an Askar ski lodge, and she bought gas up near there Saturday morning” he stated. Taeyong frowned.

“How far north?” he asked. When Sicheng told him the location, Taeyong looked over at Mark and Jaehyun.

“You’re coming with me” he declared, motioning for the two men to follow him out of the office to the new scene. Jaehyun immediately followed after him while Mark blinked and looked over at the others before he followed after Taeyong and Jaehyun out of the office.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	12. Case 2: Catfishing Teacher - Part 4

Up in Askar, where Phoebe Burnap was staying, Mark checked in at the front desk, asking about her while Taeyong and Jaehyun were waiting for him.

“Front desk confirms Phoebe Burnap's in room 212. With a young male” Jaehyun declared. Taeyong nodded.

“Great. Let’s move” he ordered. 

“They requested we spare the front door” Mark stated, holding up a keycard as he walked over to them. Taeyong and Jaehyun nodded before they all headed up to the room, two officers following behind them.

~*~*~*~*~

When they entered the room, everything was quiet before they heard a woman moaning from the bedroom. They quickly burst through the door, startling the woman, Phoebe, off of the man underneath her.

“APD. Nobody move” Jaehyun ordered.

“What the hell?” Phoebe exclaimed.

“What's going on?” the man asked.

“Get out!” Phoebe exclaimed. 

“Where’s Zach?” Taeyong demanded, glaring at the people in the bed.

“Wh-who?” the man asked.

“How old are you?” Mark asked, turning to look at him.

“He's 21, he's my husband” Phoebe answered.

“Your husband?” Taeyong, Jaehyun, and Mark repeated at the same time. Phoebe nodded.

“Yes. We eloped Friday night” she explained. Jaehyun and Mark looked at one another while Taeyong walked into the on-suite bathroom and grabbed two robes before walking back to Phoebe and the man, tossing the robes at them.

“All right, how about we lose the cuffs, get dressed” he ordered before he looked at Phoebe, brown eyes glowing red.

“Phoebe Burnap, you're under arrest” he growled.

~*~*~*~*~

In the APD interrogation room, Phoebe was sitting down in the interrogation room while Taeyong interrogated her, Donghyuck leaning against the wall.

“That's you. We got confirmation from the two other boys you sexted” Taeyong stated, placing two photos down in front of Phoebe, who shook her head.

“That's my picture, yes, but I don't know where Zach got it. Check my phone; they didn't come from me” she replied.

“We know they came from a burner cell” Taeyong stated. Phoebe shook her head.

“I'm not even sure what that is” she replied as Donghyuck pushed himself off the wall, walking over to the table.

“Listen, if you met up with Zach Foster, you need to tell us now. We’re pulling video from the AirTrain entrance and we’re gonna put the two of you together” he growled. Phoebe shook her head.

“I wasn't with Zach. Honestly, he's just a kid” she replied. Donghyuck raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, not your type?” he replied sarcastically. Phoebe opened her mouth to reply when she thought against it and shut her mouth. Taeyong then sighed and shook his head.

“Come on, Phoebe. Your picture's on his phone. You asked him to meet you. Where is he?” he demanded. Phoebe shook his head.

“I don't know. My husband, David, is on Christmas break from Oberlin. We decided to elope the night he came back. That's why we were in Askar. We've been together the whole time” she explained. Taeyong scoffed.

“Okay, well, you stick to that story, and you're gonna end up in jail and on the registry for a very long time. Is that what you want?” he demanded. Phoebe glared at him.

“I want a lawyer” she replied.

“Fine. But the longer it takes us to find Zach, the less likely you are to get a deal. If something happens to Zach—” Taeyong warned.

“I didn't do anything. I want a lawyer” Phoebe snapped. Donghyuck and Taeyong sighed before they walked out of the interrogation room.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, in the APD conference room, Yuta and Sicheng were interrogating Phoebe’s husband. When Sicheng placed the photos down in front of him, he shook his head and pushed them away.

“Someone must've hacked Phoebe's phone. These are pictures she sent to me” he explained. Yuta shook his head.

“Not just you. Three of her students: Travis, Jordan, and Zach” he explained. Phoebe’s husband, David, shook his head.

“She would never do that” he assured. Sicheng sighed.

“I know this must be hard for you, but you understand our perspective here, right? I mean, these photos, the information from the boys—” he started. 

“How long have you known your wife?” Yuta interrupted. 

“We've known each other for years” David answered. Yuta and Sicheng frowned.

“For years? You're 21” Sicheng stated. 

“Yeah, we met in high school. Senior year” David explained. Sicheng nodded slowly.

“Your senior year?” he asked. David nodded.

“Well, yeah. Her first year teaching. Six years is not a big difference. If she were 21 and I was 27, it'd be fine, right?” he asked, glaring at the two detectives. Sicheng held up his hands in a calming gesture.

“We're not here to judge you. We just need to know when and where you met Phoebe on Friday” he explained. David sighed before he thought back.

“She picked me up at LaGuardia a little after 3:00. We drove up to the ski lodge and got married at the base of the mountain at midnight as snow fell all around us” he explained. Yuta smiled.

“How romantic” he mused. David smiled.

“Yeah, it was. We were together the whole time. She wore me out” he explained, a small smirk on his face. Sicheng and Yuta looked at one another before they walked out of the interrogation room.

“He could be lying, but I doubt it” Sicheng grumbled to Taeyong, Jaehyun, Donghyuck and Mark, who were standing outside of the office.

“That kid's in love. You can't trust someone like that” Yuta added. Taeyong sighed.

“Okay, the lodge confirms their check-in time, champagne delivery to the room, and a couple's massage” he explained. Mark shook his head.

“It could be some elaborate alibi, but what was her plan? Take a 15-year-old on her honeymoon?” he asked.

“She text Zach, sent him tickets. There's gotta be some connection between them” Sicheng grumbled.

“The first two boys are athletes. She sexted them from her regular cell, did them in her car or in her school. It's a long throw from that to a burner cell and kidnapping” Yuta argued. Jaehyun nodded.

“It is, but she is Zach's last contact. So this David knows something. Keep him talking” he ordered. Sicheng and Yuta nodded, heading back inside, just as another man walked into the room.

“Taeyong” the man called out. Jaehyun, Mark, Donghyuck, and Taeyong turned to look over at the man as Taeyong smiled slightly.

“Kai hyung” he greeted. The man, Kim Jongin, nodded in greeted as he walked over to the four men.

“On what charges are you holding Phoebe Burnap?” he asked. Mark placed his hands behind his back and looked at the man.

“Rape in the third, possibly rape in the second, kidnapping, and sexual assault” he answered.

“Rape? A jury is going to look at her, look at him…do you think they'll see it that way?” Jongin asked before he looked over at Phoebe.

“My client and I will need a word” he stated. Taeyong nodded.

“Of course” he replied. Jongin then headed for the interrogation room while Jaehyun looked over at Mark.

“Look, we can't prove she took Zach, but we have her dead to rights on raping two other teenaged boys” he declared. Mark nodded.

“I’m aware. But right now, Zach is missing, and he’s the priority. If she wants a deal, she’ll get one” he stated. Taeyong sighed before he looked over at Jaehyun.

“You got this?” he asked. Jaehyun smiled. 

“Leave it to me, babe” he replied. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	13. Case 2: Catfishing Teacher - Part 5

“Look, Zach is a nice kid. I would never do anything to hurt him” Phoebe stated as Jaehyun paced around the room.

“Well, then tell us where he is” he ordered. Jongin held up a hand.

“I'd first like to make it clear that my client is admitting to nothing. And, unless we get a proffer agreement, we're walking out the door” he stated. Mark shook his head in frustration.

“You want to be queen for a day, you’ve got it. We don’t have time to hammer out logistics now, but I will work with you to see that your client gets better deal than she deserves for raping two students” he growled. Phoebe’s eyes widened.

“Rape? That's not—” she started when Jongin held up his hand again.

“Ms. Burnap, we're only discussing Zach right now” he interrupted.

“But…” Phoebe started.

“Our concern is finding him” Jongin explained. Phoebe looked at him in shock before she looked at Jaehyun and Mark.

“I never approached Zach. I never texted him. He's a good student. There was never any need for tutoring” she explained.

“Tutoring…is that what you're calling it?” Jaehyun sneered.

“I was looking out for those kids” Phoebe argued. 

“Yeah? In the supply closet?” Jaehyun asked, brown eyes cold. Phoebe sighed.

“Jordan and Travis come from dysfunctional homes. There were abuse issues. I helped them through it” she explained.

“Again, let’s focus on Zach” Jongin instructed, glaring at the woman next to him.

“Quickly” Mark snapped, also glaring at Phoebe. Phoebe sighed and said nothing, allowing Jongin to take over.

“Okay. My client was set up by someone, and we know who” he declared. Mark and Jaehyun were silent for a moment as they looked at one another before Jaehyun quickly walked towards the desk.

“Hold on…you know who Zach's with and you've waited all this time to tell us?” he growled, eyes flashing white. Jongin looked calmly up at Jaehyun.

“Let's not waste any more of it with recriminations” he answered before he looked over at Phoebe.

“Ms. Burnap” he instructed, motioning for her to explain. Phoebe sighed.

“Jordan came to me a month ago, upset. He was having a hard time…performing. He was feeling inadequate. I…reassured him that he wasn't, but he told me that he already talked about it with Donald Basinski, his wrestling coach” she explained. Jaehyun said nothing, so he just looked over at Mark to say something.

“This Coach Basinski knew about you and Jordan?” Mark asked. Jongin nodded.

“So you see, Ms. Burnap is a victim here, too” he stated. Mark’s eyes widened.

“A victim?!” he exclaimed.

“Those photos were personal. If Basinski used them, it was without my permission” Phoebe explained.

“Used them how? To lure Zach to him?” Jaehyun demanded, finally finding his voice again.

“He is a wrestling coach. You hear a lot of rumors about those guys” Phoebe answered with a shrug.

~*~*~*~*~

After talking to Phoebe Burnap, the APD detectives called Jordan in for questioning.

“Yeah, okay. I showed Coach Basinski the sexts and the photos. He said he'd put an end to it” he explained. Yuta, who was questioning him, frowned.

“He didn't want you to go to the principal or the police?” he asked. Jordan shook his head.

“He said the press could catch wind of that, I could lose my shot at a college scholarship” he explained.

“Did you just show him the photos, or did you give them to him?” Sicheng, who was also questioning Jordan, asked.

“I AirDropped them. He said he needed the proof” Jordan answered. Yuta and Sicheng said nothing as they looked at one another before they stood up.

“Give us a minute, Jordan” Yuta stated as they began to walk towards the door.

“Uh, I…I don't know what this is about, but Coach? He's a good guy. He always has time for you, no matter what” Jordan called out, making Yuta and Sicheng stop for a moment before they continued to walk out the door.

~*~*~*~*~

Once they were outside, they looked over at Mark, Jaehyun, Donghyuck, and Taeyong, all of whom were waiting outside.

“Jordan gave the Coach the pics, and he used them to catfish Zach” Yuta declared.

“He’s our man” Sicheng added.

“Okay, so Ms. Burnap was telling the truth. Which means there are two predators at the same school” Mark murmured. Jaehyun shrugged.

“Well, it happens” he sighed.

“I'm assuming no luck reaching Coach” Yuta asked. Taeyong shook his head.

“His cell phone went straight to voicemail. TARU can't trace it” he answered. Donghyuck shrugged as he walked over to Taeyong, holding his tablet.

“Well, for what it's worth, Donald Basinski's got a stellar resume. He's been at River Park for 12 years. He's five-time Coach of the Year” he stated.

“And if he's a predator, this kid has no idea” Sicheng snarled.

“Right, because predators know who to pick on” Jaehyun sighed.

“Where does this coach live?” Mark asked, looking over at Donghyuck.

“Floral Park” Donghyuck answered.

“Go. Now” Taeyong growled. Jaehyun, Donghyuck, Yuta, and Sicheng nodded as they began to take off.

“We need a warrant, Counselor” Donghyuck called out as he, Yuta, Jaehyun, and Sicheng walked away.

“I’ll get you one, just go” Mark answered, brown eyes glowing gold.

~*~*~*~*~

Once they located the coach’s apartment, they called in the SWAT team and had them enter the apartment first before they followed after them. As the SWAT team looked around, Jaehyun, Donghyuck, Sicheng, and Yuta split up, searching the apartment until Donghyuck went into the dining room and found two dinner plates and two beer bottles.

“Two plates, two beers. They were here” he called out.

“Kitchen’s clear!” Jaehyun called from the kitchen. Yuta then walked into the kitchen before noticing a door that looked like it led to the basement.

“Basement. I'm going down” he called out, Sicheng, Jaehyun, and Donghyuck following behind. Once they walked down the stairs, Yuta and Sicheng split off to the left to search more of the basement while Jaehyun and Donghyuck split to the right. As they were looking, Sicheng noticed something with his flashlight.

“I got pictures of kids over here” he called out, making Jaehyun and Donghyuck rush over to him and Yuta. As all four men shone their flashlights on the pictures, Sicheng shook his head.

“All these boys. Who are they? What the hell happened to them?” he demanded. Jaehyun shook his head as well.

“We'll worry about that later. Right now, we gotta find Zach” he growled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	14. Case 2: Catfishing Teacher - Part 6

Back at the APD, Taeyong was sitting down next to a conference speaker phone, Yuta at his side.

“There's nothing on real estate searches or credit cards. Wherever he's taking these kids, he's using cash” Taeyong grumbled.

“APB on his car has him on the Ashor Turnpike headed north late Friday night. No signs since then” Yuta added. 

~*~*~*~*~

“No luck here, either. Principal Bernstein's going through photos now” Jaehyun stated from where he and Sicheng were talking to Principal Bernstein. Taeyong said something into his ear, making him nod.

“Copy that, babe” he stated before he hung up and looked over at Principal Bernstein, who was going through the tablet, looking at the photos.

“Well, those are our uniforms, so they're all River Park students” the man stated.

“Yeah, but do you recognize any of them?” Sicheng asked. Principal Bernstein shook his head.

“Not really. This is only my second year” he answered before he looked at the two detectives.

“Are these all kids Phoebe Burnap seduced? She got a thing for wrestlers?” he asked. 

“Wrestling team have a training camp?” Jaehyun asked, diverting the question. Principal Bernstein shook his head.

“No. We barely have enough money to get to the competitions. Have you talked to Coach Basinski about these kids?” he asked.

“Can't reach him. Coach mention any holiday plans to you? Second home, maybe someplace upstate?” Donghyuck replied, raising an eyebrow at the man. Principal Bernstein shrugged.

“He's a wrestling junkie. He's probably spending the break in a basement somewhere looking at scouting tapes” he answered. Donghyuck and Jaehyun groaned silently before they thanked the man and headed back to the office.

~*~*~*~*~

Back in the office, Taeyong was questioning Travis if he recognized any of the young men in the photographs from Coach Basinski’s basement. As he scrolled through the photos, Travis stopped him and pointed at one.

“Um, I don't know where this was taken, but that kid's Enrique Familia” he stated. Taeyong nodded.

“Okay, how do we get in touch with him?” he asked. Travis shook his head.

“He was only here, like, six months. Moved back to Colombia or something” he answered. Taeyong sighed softly.

“Okay. He ever mention going anywhere with Coach Basinski, maybe to train?” he asked. Travis shook his head.

“Uh, he didn't speak much English. Only came to practice for a few months, then just kind of disappeared” he explained.

~*~*~*~*~

After coming back from questioning the principal, Yuta was interrogating Jordan.

“Yeah. Uh, that's Sam Moreau” Jordan explained, motioning to a photo on the tablet that Yuta had handed him.

“Is he in your grade?” Yuta asked.

“He was a few years older” Jordan explained. Yuta raised an eyebrow.

“Was?” he repeated. Jordan nodded.

“He rammed his car into a tree last Christmas drunk. Killed himself” he explained. Yuta nodded slowly.

“I see. Thank you Jordan” he thanked, standing to his feet.

~*~*~*~*~

In Taeyong’s office, Cole and Serena were sitting before him, looking at the photos on the tablet, while Jaehyun stood behind Taeyong on his right side.

“Zach just started managing the team this year. Can't Coach Basinski help you with this?” Serena asked, handing the tablet over to Cole.

“We don't know where he is right now” Taeyong answered.

“Why are you looking for him? I don't understand…you arrested Ms. Burnap” Cole stated.

“We did. But she wasn't involved with your son” Taeyong explained. Serena and Cole looked at him in surprise.

“Coach Basinski is?” Serena asked.

“We don't know exactly” Jaehyun answered.

“That son of a bitch. That's why he took an interest in him. That's why he said he could be on the team next year!” Cole snarled.

“And you wanted him to play sports” Serena growled.

“So this is my fault?” Cole snapped. Taeyong quickly held up his hands, silencing both parents.

“Hey, hey. This…this isn't helpful. We need to find your son right now. So I want to go over everything that he told you about Coach” he ordered. 

“Zach reveres him. He always says Coach is the only one who believes he can make the team” Serena explained before she looked over at the tablet in Cole’s hand.

“Isn't that Nat?” she asked. Cole frowned.

“Nat who?” he replied.

“Nat Phelps. His sister, Sarah, used to babysit Zach. Nat would come over and pick her up” Serena explained, handing the tablet back to Taeyong, who looked at it as Jaehyun looked over his shoulder.

“How can we find him?” Jaehyun asked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	15. Case 2: Catfishing Teacher - Part 7

After they got the information from Serena, Taeyong and Jaehyun went to go find Nat and once they found him, they started to ask him questions about Coach Basinski.

“Basinski? I haven't talked to him in years” Nat stated.

“When he was your coach, did you ever go on any out-of-town trips with him?” Jaehyun asked.

“Who told you that?” Nat asked.

“Coach is missing. We searched his house and found some pictures” Taeyong explained.

“What kind of pictures?” Nat asked.

“Looks like you're in a rural area. You remember that?” Jaehyun asked, holding up a phone to show Nat.

“I don't know. The team traveled for competitions. This could be anywhere” Nat replied. Taeyong shook his head.

“I don't think so. Team probably didn't even go with you on this trip” he stated. Nat sighed.

“I don't know what you're talking about, and I gotta get back to work” he replied. Jaehyun growled.

“Hey, this isn't just about you, okay? There's a missing boy. We heard you know him. Zach Foster?” he asked. Nat frowned.

“Zach? Last time I saw him, he was a little kid” he explained.

“Yeah, we think Coach Basinski took him somewhere” Taeyong stated. Jaehyun nodded.

“Now maybe you heard Coach talking about a cabin? A fishing lodge? Someplace he might go in the winter” he added. Nat was quiet for a moment before he sighed.

“Coach had a place in Fapraya. But I never went there” he explained.

“He mention a road or a town?” Taeyong asked.

“If that's where Zach is, we're pretty sure he doesn't want to be there” Jaehyun explained. Nat sighed.

“There was some kind of old-fashioned general store. Coach used to bring back treats for the team…ice cream, chocolate pretzels, candy…he said there was a Viking, some kind of sculpture in the parking lot” he stated.

“He said that?” Jaehyun asked. Nat nodded.

“Yeah. I never saw it, but that's what he said. If it helps” he replied. Jaehyun and Taeyong nodded before they turned and walked away.

~*~*~*~*~

The next morning, Taeyong and Donghyuck headed up to Fapraya where the general store was. They then talked to one of the workers of the store, asking if they had seen Zach.

“So have you seen this boy in the last few days?” Yixing asked, holding up his phone with a picture of Zach on it.

“He looks kind of familiar, I guess” the girl answered.

“Yeah? What about him?” Taeyong asked, swiping left on the phone to reveal a picture of Coach Basinski.

“Yeah, Coach B. That's how I know that kid. They were in over the weekend” the girl explained. Donghyuck nodded.

“Oh, good, so he is with the coach” he muttered. Taeyong hummed.

“You know, his parents have been worried about him. He's not answering his cell” he explained. The girl, Megan, shook her head.

“There's literally no reception up here. Like, one bar on a good day” she explained.

“So annoying, right?” Donghyuck agreed before he cleared his throat.

“Listen, you know where we might be able to find them?” he asked. Megan nodded.

“I know he fishes up at the reservoir. He must have a cabin near there” she offered. Taeyong nodded.

“Hey, does Coach still have that same SUV?” he asked.

“Mm-hmm” Megan answered.

“Good. Thank you” Taeyong thanked.

“Thanks” Donghyuck thanked before he and Taeyong walked away.

~*~*~*~*~

Later on that evening, a state trooper walked in the dark up to a cabin in the woods, knocking on the door. When the owner of the cabin opened the door, the state trooper smiled slightly.

“Coach B, how you doing?” he asked. The owner of the cabin, Coach Basinski, smiled as well.

“Hi, Al, what's going on?” he asked.

“We're having some trouble with power lines down the road. Just want to make sure your line is grounded” the ranger explained. Coach Basinski shrugged.

“Well, the line's outside the house” he replied.

“You mind showing me?” the state trooper asked. Coach Basinski nodded and as soon as he stepped out of the house, the ranger grabbed his hands and pulled them behind his back.

“Whoa, what's—” he started when Jaehyun and Taeyong appeared out of the darkness.

“APD. Where's the boy?” Taeyong demanded.

“Who?” Coach Basinski asked.

“Where’s the boy?” Jaehyun snarled. When Basinski didn’t answer, the state trooper shook his head.

“Take him to the car” he ordered, dragging Coach Basinski away. While he was being dragged away, Jaehyun and Taeyong stormed into the house, looking for Zach.

“Zach!” Taeyong shouted.

“Zach?” Jaehyun called out. When they walked further into the house, they came upon two doors. Taeyong and Jaehyun looked at one another before Taeyong nodded.

“You take that room; I’ll take this one” he declared. Jaehyun nodded.

“On it” he replied, heading for the room that Taeyong ordered him to search. Taeyong then opened the door to his room, noticing a young boy sleeping in the bed.

“He's here!” he called out as he rushed into the room, placing two fingers on the boy’s neck.

“Zach. Zach…” he whispered before he looked over his shoulder to see Jaehyun standing behind him, concern on his face.

“He's breathing” Taeyong assured, making Jaehyun nod and look over his shoulder at the other rangers that were now starting to enter the cabin.

“We need an ambulance!” he called out before he looked back at his husband, who was wrapping Zach in the blanket from the bed.

“Oh, Zach…Zach…it's okay, it's okay” he soothed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	16. Case 2: Catfishing Teacher - Part 8

The next day, in the Asmaye General Hospital, Taeyong and Jaehyun were talking to Dr. Jung Sungchan.

“How's Zach doing?” Jaehyun asked.

“There was alcohol and Rohypnol in his system. No sign of external injuries” Sungchan replied.

“Okay, you did a rape kit?” Taeyong asked. Sungchan shook his head.

“He refused it. He's conscious now, asking for his parents” he explained as Sicheng, Donghyuck, and Yuta walked over to them.

“Did you get a statement from Zach?” Sicheng asked. Jaehyun shook his head.

“He's receiving treatment. We're just about to go in there. How're the parents doing?” he asked. Yuta sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“They argued in the backseat all the way up here” he grumbled when Cole and Serena walked into the waiting room.

“How is he?” Cole asked.

“I wanna see Zach. Can we see him?” Serena asked. Taeyong nodded.

“Yes, of course” he replied while Sungchan nodded.

“Follow me” he ordered, motioning for the parents to follow him. Cole and Serena followed him while Donghyuck looked over at Taeyong and Jaehyun.

“Is Basinski with the state troopers?” he asked. Jaehyun nodded.

“Yeah, they processed him so that we can extradite” he replied.

“I want you three to head over to the ranger’s station. We're gonna go talk to the boy” Taeyong declared before he and Jaehyun turned on their heels and followed after Sungchan and Zach’s parents. Sicheng, Donghyuck, and Yuta nodded, exiting the hospital to follow Taeyong’s orders.

~*~*~*~*~

When the three detectives reached the station, the state trooper nodded after they explained why they were there.

“This guy has been coming up to his family cabin for years. And none of us had a clue” he growled. Yuta sighed.

“That's how they get away with it” he explained.

“How's Zach doing?” Coach Basinski called out as Sicheng, Yuta, and Donghyuck walked into the room.

“You know, before I saw him, he was really having a tough Christmas” Basinski explained. Donghyuck scoffed.

“That's how this is gonna go?” he sneered. Coach Basinski frowned.

“What're you talking about?” he asked. Yuta rolled his eyes.

“Don't even try, Basinski. We know you catfished the boy” he snarled. Coach Basinski shook his head.

“What? What does that mean?” he asked. When Donghyuck, Sicheng, and Yuta gave him a look, he sighed deeply.

“Look, never mind. This is what really happened: he comes from a broken home. And neither of his folks wanted him over the holidays, so he ran away. And if I hadn't stumbled upon him, God knows what could have happened” he explained. Sicheng crossed his arms, disgusted.

“You _drugged_ him” he spat.

“I fed him” Coach Basinksi argued. When Sicheng, Donghyuck, and Yuta weren’t buying it, he sighed again.

“Okay, I gave him a beer, too. I wanted him to feel like a man. He has no friends, no life” he explained. Donghyuck scoffed, shaking his head.

“You sure know how to pick 'em” he sneered. Coach Basinksi glared at him.

“What, the ones who need help? Yeah, I do. Do you guys even hear yourselves? I gave him a home on the team. I taught him how to wrestle” he exclaimed. Sicheng shook his head and looked over at Yuta.

“He was grooming him” he murmured, making Coach Basinski glare at him.

“Look, okay…you're prejudiced, aren't you? Your mind's already made up, but—” he started, looking over from him to Yuta.

“—but you know what I'm talking about” he purred. Yuta raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms, silently ordering Basinski to elaborate.

“Sports are good for young men. Keeps them busy. Channels that energy” Coach Basinski explained in a tone that made Donghyuck, Sicheng, and Yuta’s skin crawl.

“I bet you played football, huh? Or boxed” Coach Basinski continued.

“Don’t change the subject” Yuta growled.

“We found Zach in that cabin. Whatever you did to him, he was terrified” Donghyuck snapped. Coach Basinski scoffed.

“The way you guys came through the door, I'm not surprised. You scared him half to death” he shouted. Yuta shook his head and uncrossed his arms.

“You know what, shut up! Stand up. We're done, come on” he growled, walking around the table and yanking Coach Basinski to his feet.

“All right, all right, so look at my record!” Coach Basinski shouted.

“Come on!” Sicheng snapped.

“Coach of the Year! 16 years, no one’s ever accused me of anything. Coach B is a stand-up guy. You ask any of my kids” Coach Basinski exclaimed.

“Yeah, we already started” Yuta snapped.

“Good! Then I'd like to exercise my right to counsel” Coach Basinksi demanded. Donghyuck shook his head as Sicheng and Yuta pushed Basinski out of the state trooper’s office.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, back at the hospital, Zach was sitting on the hospital bed in a hospital gown before Taeyong and Jaehyun.

“My mom and dad said I can go home. Can't we do this later?” he asked. Jaehyun sighed.

“Yeah, but, uh, Zach, sometimes it's better to talk this through right away” he explained gently.

“Now we understand that you thought that you were meeting Ms. Burnap, but Coach Basinski showed up. Is that correct?” Taeyong asked. Zach nodded.

“Yeah. He said he'd just happened to be driving by. He offered me a ride home” he explained.

“So you got in the car. And, uh and then what?” Jaehyun asked gently.

“He drove me to his house. He ordered pizza. He gave me a beer. We watched hockey. I must've drank too much. I don't really drink, all right? So it must've made me pass out” Zach answered. Jaehyun nodded.

“And then what happened? That that you remember?” he continued, still calm and gentle, trying not to scare the boy before him.

“I was in his car. On a highway at night. Look, he told me he was driving me home. So I fell back asleep. When I woke up, I was in that cabin. The doors were locked” Zach explained. Taeyong nodded.

“And where was Coach?” he asked, just as gently. Zach was silent before he let out a shaky sigh.

“He was in bed with me” he answered weakly. Jaehyun nodded again.

“Listen, I know this is tough, Zach. But was he touching you?” he asked. Zach was silent again before he gritted his teeth.

“I woke up because his mouth—” he started.

“It wasn’t your fault” Taeyong soothed.

“His mouth was on me. And I wasn't into it, all right? I'm not gay. I-I watch porn. I do. And I'm talking about normal stuff. Girls” Zach stammered, trying to get Taeyong and Jaehyun to understand.

“Zach, listen to me. It means nothing. It doesn't mean anything. You were drugged and your body reacted, that's all” Taeyong soothed, bending down so that he was looking into Zach’s brown eyes.

“So…what else do you remember?” he continued. Zach shook his head, too afraid (or ashamed) to answer.

“Whatever he may have made you do, that's on him. That's not on you” Jaehyun assured. Zach shook his head.

“Nothing else happened. I just want to go home” he murmured. Taeyong and Jaehyun said nothing before they looked at one another then back at Zach.

“Okay” Taeyong soothed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	17. Case 2: Catfishing Teacher - Part 9

The next day, in the arrangement court, Coach Basinski and his defense lawyer were standing before the judge while Mark stood adjacent to them.

“Happy holidays, everyone. Mr. Basinski, how do you plead?” the judge asked.

“Not guilty, Your Honor” Basinki’s lawyer answered.

“My client has been a well-respected teacher and coach for the past 16 years. The only reason he's here is because another teacher, an admitted pedophile, cut a deal implicating him. We request R.O.R” he replied. The judge hummed before she looked over at Mark.

“Mr. Lee?” she asked.

“Mr. Basinski was found with an intoxicated 15-year-old. He is being charged with kidnapping, rape in the first, and promoting the sexual performance of a child. He may be a danger to himself and others, and he has daily contact with minors…potential victims” Mark answered. The judge smirked.

“You don't need to oversell, Counselor” she reminded before she looked over at Coach Basinski.

“Mr. Basinski, bail is set at $500,000. Should you make bond, you will be required to wear an electronic monitor and be forbidden contact with _any_ minors. Understood?” she asked. Coach Basinksi nodded.

“Yes, your Honor” he replied.

~*~*~*~*~

After the trial, Mark was in the prosecutor’s lounge when there was a light knocking on the door, making him look up as Taeyong and Zach’s parents walked into the room.

“Mr. and Mrs. Foster. Captain Lee said you needed to speak with me” he stated. Cole shook his head.

“Actually, we don't. But this was his idea” he explained, motioning to Taeyong.

“They're having second thoughts about allowing Zach to testify” Taeyong explained, looking over at the prosecutor. Mark nodded slowly.

“Okay, well…this is a natural reaction to a traumatic experience” he explained.

“Coach is out on bail” Cole snarled.

“Yes. He put up his house as collateral. He has to wear a monitor. He will not go near your son or any other kid” Mark assured.

“This is all over the news. There are photographers at the arraignment. Other moms are calling me, asking about Zach” Serena explained with tears in her eyes. Taeyong sighed.

“And I explained to the Fosters that there are rape shield laws in place” he explained.

“Everyone at school knows Ms. Burnap and Coach Basinski were both arrested” Serena argued. Taeyong opened his mouth to say something when Cole interrupted him.

“My boy's had it rough enough at school. If word gets out that Ms. Burnap sent those sexts and seduced him, well, that's one thing, but I don't…we don't want the whole world knowing he's the kid who got it from the wrestling coach” he spat. Taeyong nodded.

“And we understand that. And what we're asking you to do is not easy. But you both are in a very emotional place right now…” he started.

“Thank you for your help” Cole snarled before he looked over at Serena.

“Serena, we're leaving” he stated, turning and walking out of the room. Serena was silent before she turned and followed after her ex-husband. Taeyong sighed deeply before he looked over at Mark.

“Well, I'm sorry, I…I tried” he apologized. Mark shook his head.

“You know what? If it were my son, I don't know what I would do” he replied.

“Look, it's a reach, but there are other boys” Taeyong offered. Mark sighed.

“Well, I need one of them to come forward” he stated.

~*~*~*~*~

That evening, Sicheng and Taeyong walked down to where Nat worked, hoping to talk to him.

“Nat. You got a minute?” Taeyong called out. Nat looked up at them and shook his head.

“Not really” he replied as Taeyong and Sicheng walked up to him, standing before him.

“Look Nat, I just wanted to thank you. Because of your help, we were able to find Zach and Coach Basinski” Taeyong stated. Nat smiled slightly.

“Zach okay?” he asked.

“Yeah, he will be. We hope” Sicheng replied.

“Well, good. Is that all?” Nat asked. Taeyong shook his head.

“No. No, it's not” he replied, making Nat raise an eyebrow at him.

“You know, Basinski will be going to trial. So we want to get as many stories on the record as we can” Taeyong explained. Nat frowned.

“You found him with Zach. That's enough to bury him, right?” he asked.

“Well…” Taeyong started.

“Zach's parents might not let him testify” Sicheng interrupted.

“Even so, the guy's going away” Nat exclaimed.

“Listen, the truth is, is that we need your help” Taeyong stated. Nat looked between him and Sicheng before he shook his head.

“You mean testify? No. Forget that” he spat. Sicheng held up a hand.

“Hold on, just hear us out. If we can't get more stories, he might take a plea” he explained. Nat frowned.

“And how many do you have so far?” he asked. When Sicheng and Taeyong remained silent, he nodded.

“That's what I thought. Forget it. I'm not gonna be your guinea pig” he spat before he turned away. Sicheng and Taeyong looked at one another before they too turned and walked away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	18. Case 2: Catfishing Teacher - CASE CLOSED

The next day, in the SVU office, Donghyuck shook his head as he walked into the bullpen room.

“Sorry. Struck out. Edward Yamaguchi wants to see Basinski in jail, but he's not gonna get involved” he explained. Taeyong shook his head.

“Where are we on the ten we ID'd?” he exclaimed. Sicheng sighed.

“Edward was the last of them. Zach, Nat, they're not gonna testify” he stated.

“Sam Moreau is dead, Enrique Familia's back in Colombia” Yuta added. Jaehyun nodded as he walked over to the television, pointing to different photos on the screen.

“These two swear nothing happened and these three don't want their spouses or family to find out” he explained.

“Hyung. You know how it goes when a boy goes through something like this, they never tell anyone” Donghyuck stated.

“Excuse me” a voice called out, making all of the detectives turn. When they saw Nat standing in the conference room, they all frowned.

“Nat. Can we help you?” Taeyong asked. Nat shook his head.

“I think I can help you” he replied.

“You’re willing to make a statement?” Donghyuck asked. Nat shook his head again.

“I don't have to. Got Coach's statement right here. He confessed to everything” he explained, holding out what looked like a small camera. Taeyong and the others looked at one another in shock before Taeyong took the camera in his hand.

~*~*~*~*~

Once they took the tape from Nat, they went into a private room and played the tape.

_“Aah! Nat, please!”_ Coach Basinski exclaimed on the tape as Nat stabbed him in the gut.

_“Please_ …” Coach Basinski begged.

 _“There. It's recording. Tell them what you did. Your own words”_ Nat ordered from the recording.

 _“You're having a hard time, but this is not…”_ Coach Basinski started when Nat, who was behind the phone or camera, surged forward and stabbed him again.

 _“I said tell them!”_ he screamed. Coach Basinski groaned in pain, making Taeyong reach out and stop the video.

“And he confessed on his own free will?” he asked. Nat looked over his shoulder at him and nodded.

“I encouraged him” he replied. Taeyong made a face before he started the video again.

_“Okay! Yes”_ Coach Basinski agreed.

_“"Yes" what? What did you do?”_ Nat snapped.

 _“Yes, I had sex with you”_ Coach Basinski admitted. 

_“Not sex! You raped us!”_ Nat screamed as he stabbed the man again on the tape. While Nat was watching the tape, Taeyong glanced over at Donghyuck, Yuta, and Sicheng, motioning with his thumb for the three men to leave the room.

 _“Aah! Okay”_ Coach Basinksi whimpered.

 _“You raped all of us!”_ Nat shouted.

_“It's what they wanted. I was there for them, for you”_ Coach Basinksi cried.

_“No! Never!”_ Nat screamed, punching.

_“No?”_ Coach Basinski whimpered.

_“I just wanted your help!”_ Nat screamed.

_“Well, that's what I did! You wanted someone to care, and that's what I did”_ Coach Basinski exclaimed.

“ _Care? Care?! You never cared! How many boys did you have up on your wall? Like trophies!”_ Nat screamed.

_“Ohh…”_ Coach Basinski groaned when Nat stabbed him again.

 _“Tell me again! I want names now!”_ Nat shouted. When Coach Basinksi didn’t answer, Nat stabbed him once more.

 _“I said tell me!”_ Nat roared.

 _“Ow!”_ Coach Basinski groaned.

 _“Stop it! I want names!”_ Nat roared, punching Coach Basinski in the face.

 _“Okay, it was Sam Moreau. Enrique Familia. Edward Yamaguchi”_ Coach Basinski whimpered. Nat then grabbed the remote control and paused the tape, looking over at Taeyong and Jaehyun.

“He names four others and me. Is that enough?” he asked. Taeyong and Jaehyun just stared at the young man, both men not sure how to respond.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, Yuta, Donghyuck, and Sicheng drove to Nat’s house with a few police cars behind them. They then exited their car and walked up to Nat’s apartment, opening the jarred door.

“Go” Yuta ordered. The three detectives entered the apartment and looked around, noticing the mess that was made in the living room. When they didn’t find Coach Basinski, they headed down to the apartment’s basement, where they found Basinski tied to a chair, bleeding out. Donghyuck ran over to the man and knelt down, pressing his fingers to Basinski’s neck.

“He's alive!” he exclaimed. Sicheng looked shocked while Yuta looked over his shoulders at a few of the police officers that followed them down into the basement.

“We're gonna need that bus” he shouted. While he was barking orders, Sicheng ran over to Donghyuck and looked down at Coach Basinski, who had a knife embedded in his leg.

“All right, hang on. Just hang on” he whispered.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the APD, Taeyong and Jaehyun were in the interrogation room with Nat.

“Coach Basinski died in the ambulance en route to the hospital” he stated after closing the door to the interrogation room.

“He must've been in a lot of pain. Did he bleed to death?” Nat asked.

“He did” Taeyong answered.

“Good” Nat murmured. Taeyong frowned.

“When did this happen?” he asked.

“Last night. I got my first good night's sleep in eight years” Nat answered before he looked into Taeyong’s eyes.

“Don't I need to make a statement or something?” he asked. Taeyong shook his head.

“No, not yet. You're under arrest for murder now. We need to read you your rights again” he stated before he looked over at Jaehyun, who took a deep breath.

“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you—” he started.

“I know all that” Nat interrupted.

“You have the right to an attorney” Jaehyun continued.

“I don't need one” Nat argued. Taeyong nodded.

“Yes, you do” he argued before he looked Nat in the eyes.

“We’ll be right back. You're not saying anything until a lawyer gets here” he snarled. He and Jaehyun then turned and walked outside, Mark waiting for them with a frown on his face.

“Do you usually encourage your suspects to get a lawyer?” he asked, hands behind his back. Jaehyun shook his head.

“This is on us. We pushed this kid to testify” he replied. Mark shook his head.

“That's not what he did” he argued. Taeyong looked away from the double-sided mirror at the prosecutor.

“He was trying to get a confession. He was molested by the man that he killed” he growled. Mark sighed.

“He planned this. He tortured that man. He left him to die and was glad to hear that he bled out in pain. It was premeditated” he stated.

“You're gonna charge him with first-degree murder? That's 25 years” Jaehyun exclaimed.

“His lawyer can plead for leniency at sentencing” Mark offered.

“His life will be over!” Taeyong exclaimed. Mark held up a calming hand.

“Captain, his life…was over at 15” he murmured before he turned and walked away. Taeyong looked after the prosecutor in shock before he turned to look into the interrogation room at Nat, who had hung his head, looking at his hands.

“He’s right, you know” Jaehyun murmured, glancing over at him. Taeyong sighed and shook his head.

“I know…I just don’t want to believe it” he muttered before he turned away from the double-sided mirror, Jaehyun following after him.

**_CASE CLOSED_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	19. Case 3: Next Chapter - Part 1

It was a nice evening as Taeyong and Jaehyun were enjoying a nice dinner in a fancy restaurant, just enjoying each other’s company.

“This food is fantastic” Jaehyun stated as he and Taeyong finished their meal. Taeyong nodded.

“Korean/Mexican fusion. Who knew?” he replied with a smile. Jaehyun chuckled.

“We definitely need to get out more” he stated. Taeyong huffed.

“Ain’t that the truth. It’s nice to just enjoy the evening without having to worry about getting a case” he stated, just as his phone rang. He and Jaehyun looked at one another before Jaehyun narrowed his eyes.

“You just had to open your mouth” he grumbled.

“Shut up” Taeyong grumbled back as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, answering the call and putting it to his ear.

“Lee” he answered.

 _“Hyung? It’s Sicheng. We’ve got a case but…”_ Sicheng started on the other line. Taeyong frowned.

“Winwin? What is it?” he asked, making Jaehyun look at him with concern.

 _“Well…it’s just that…no one is allowed to go into the scene…”_ Sicheng replied.

“What the hell do you mean no one is allowed to go inside?” Taeyong demanded.

 _“Whoever is inside the crime scene isn’t allowing any officers or EMTs inside…all the officers look a little terrified and I have no idea why”_ Sicheng explained. Taeyong sighed.

“Alright, I’ll be there soon” he stated before he hung up and looked at Jaehyun, who was frowning at him.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“We’ve got a case” Taeyong replied. Jaehyun nodded.

“Let’s go” he replied before he grabbed his wallet and pulled out a few bills, throwing them down on the table, paying for the meal while leaving a generous tip. After leaving the tip, both Taeyong and Jaehyun walked out of the restaurant, Jaehyun looking over at Taeyong.

“So, what’s happen?” Jaehyun asked. Taeyong sighed.

“Apparently, we’ve got a case, but no officers are allowed to go inside and check out the scene. Winwin said all the officers looked scared of who was inside” he replied. Jaehyun frowned.

“What?” he asked. Taeyong nodded.

“Exactly” he replied as he walked over to the driver’s side of the car, getting in, while Jaehyun got into the passenger’s side, soon taking off for the scene.

~*~*~*~*~

When they arrived at the scene, Sicheng, Yuta, and Donghyuck came out to meet them. 

“What the hell is going on?” Jaehyun demanded.

“Someone’s inside the crime scene and isn’t allowing anyone else inside” Donghyuck answered. Taeyong huffed.

“Well, I don’t care who they are, they’re not stopping us from solving this case” he growled, storming past Sicheng, Yuta, and Donghyuck towards the apartment, where all of the officers were standing outside.

“Captain! I wouldn’t go in there if I were you!” one of the officers called out, but Taeyong and Jaehyun ignored the call as they walked into the apartment to see two tall men, a tall young man with light skin, black hair, and brown eyes and a tall young man with light skin, black hair, and brown eyes, both dressed in black three piece suits overlaid with black trench coats. 

“Who the hell are you?” Taeyong demanded, glaring at the two men. The two men turned and stared at him and Jaehyun, the first man with the black hair raising an eyebrow.

“I could be asking you the same question” he replied calmly.

“Captain Lee Taeyong and my husband, Lieutenant Jung Jaehyun. This is our crime scene and you’re going to have to leave” Taeyong ordered. The black haired man chuckled and shook his head.

“No, I don’t think so. One of our own was attacked tonight and we’re not leaving” he stated. Taeyong and Jaehyun’s face softened at that statement and they both took a step forward, only to be stopped by the second man with the black hair.

“Doyoung. Let them come forward” the first black haired man instructed. The second black haired man huffed before he stepped back and allowed Taeyong and Jaehyun to come forward to see a young woman with ruined makeup and tear stains on her cheek sitting on the couch, shielded by both black haired men. 

“I don’t believe we caught your names” Jaehyun stated, looking at the two men in black.

The first black haired man smirked.

“Moon Taeil, hyungnim of the local mafioso here in Asmaye. And this is my husband, Kim Doyoung, my underboss” he replied, motioning to the other man with the black hair. Taeyong and Jaehyun nodded in greeting before Taeyong looked down at the young woman.

“And who is this?” he asked. 

“This is Quinn Berris. She’s a Blue Lantern, someone who is not associated with the triad. Her parents, however, are 49ers, or ordinary members of our gang. And while Quinn is not associated with us, her parents were, making her still family” Taeil explained. Taeyong and Jaehyun nodded in understanding before Jaehyun cleared his throat.

“What happened?” he asked.

“She called 911 at 11:25. Said a guy in a mask jumped her, pushed her into her apartment, and sexually assaulted her at knifepoint” Doyoung answered.

“Let me guess, you wiretapped the phones and got here before the police?” Taeyong asked, looking at Taeil and Doyoung with a raised eyebrow.

“You’re a clever one, aren’t you, Captain?” Taeil teased. Taeyong smirked before he looked at Quinn, his face softening.

“Do you mind if we talk to her?” he asked. Taeil said nothing before he knelt down and placed a gentle hand on Quinn’s knee, making her look at him.

“Quinn, these men are the police. They want to ask you a few questions. Is that alright?” he asked, voice gentle. Taeyong and Jaehyun blinked; they weren’t expecting a gang member, especially the leader of the gang, to be so gentle. Quinn nodded, making Taeil look up at Taeyong and Jaehyun.

“She’ll talk to you” he stated. Taeyong and Jaehyun nodded in thanks before they sat down before Quinn.

“Quinn? I’m Captain Lee Taeyong and this is my husband Lieutenant Jung Jaehyun. Do you mind if we ask you a few questions?” Taeyong asked. Quinn shook her head.

“Now, I understand the man who did this wore a mask” Taeyong started, making Quinn nod.

“Yes, it was a black mask” she replied.

“Was he short or tall?” Jaehyun asked.

“Medium height, medium build” Quinn replied.

“Could you tell if he was black or white?” Taeyong asked gently.

“No. But it doesn't really matter” Quinn answered weakly. Taeil, Doyoung, Taeyong, and Jaehyun all frowned.

“What do you mean?” Jaehyun asked.

“I think I know who did this. His name is Ray Wilson. And he's been stalking me since college” Quinn declared. Taeyong and Jaehyun looked up at Taeil and Doyoung, who were looking down at Quinn with barely concealed rage in their eyes. Taeyong immediately stood up and placed a hand on Taeil’s arm, making him look over at him with wide eyes.

“Why don’t we take Quinn back to our precinct, get her something warm, and then we can question her some more? You’re more than welcome to come along” he offered. Taeil was quiet before he looked over at Doyoung, who shrugged in response. Taeil then looked back at Taeyong and sighed.

“Alright” he agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween! Hope y'all are staying safe! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	20. Case 3: Next Chapter - Part 2

After Taeyong and Jaehyun brought Quinn back to their office, Taeyong took her to the breakroom to get her some hot coffee and ask her some more questions. Jaehyun led Taeil and Doyoung to the bullpen, introducing them to Sicheng, Yuta, and Donghyuck before he walked into the breakroom to be with Taeyong.

“So Quinn, if you can. I'd like you to tell me more about Ray Wilson” Taeyong instructed. Quinn nodded as she clutched at the cup of coffee Taeyong gave her.

“We met at college. At Rutgers. We went on one date. I just wasn't interested and he wouldn't leave me alone. He just kept texting me and following me, and he started leaving notes on my car and buying me gifts, and he even followed me to my parents' house once” she explained. Jaehyun frowned.

“Did you get a restraining order?” he asked. Quinn nodded.

“Yes, of course. But he didn't care. And then one day after class, he was in my closet” she explained. Both Taeyong and Jaehyun’s eyes widened.

“Did he assault you?” Taeyong demanded.

“No, I threw my coffee at him and ran to the bathroom, locked the door, and called 911. The police came five minutes later” Quinn replied. Both Jaehyun and Taeyong let out relieved sighs before Jaehyun placed his hands on his hips.

“He go to prison?” he asked. Quinn nodded before she sighed.

“Yes he got out on parole last year. Moved back to Paterson” she explained.

“Okay, and did he ever contact you again?” Taeyong asked. Quinn nodded slightly.

“Yeah, he…he sent a letter of apology to my office. And it made me nervous, so I called Sergeant Cole” she explained. Taeyong and Jaehyun frowned.

“Sergeant Cole?” Jaehyun repeated.

“He's the officer that saved me that night” Quinn explained. Jaehyun nodded.

“Okay. And are you two still in touch?” he inquired. Quinn nodded.

“Yeah, we sort of became friends. I knew his daughter; we went to college together. He’s retired now, anyway. I asked him to make sure that Ray wasn't still obsessed with me. I should've called APD—” she started when Taeyong held up a hand.

“The only thing that you need to worry about is you. Okay? You're gonna be okay, Quinn. You're gonna get through this” he soothed before he and Jaehyun then stood up, exiting the breakroom to go talk to their detectives, Taeil, and Doyoung.

“Ray Wilson. He's 27. He was convicted four years ago of breaking and entering and attempted sexual assault. Now, he was paroled in October” Sicheng stated as he handed Ray Wilson’s file to Taeyong.

“Okay, any other priors?” Taeyong asked as he looked at the file. Sicheng shook his head.

“No, that’s it” he replied, just as Yuta got off the phone and looked up at Taeyong and Jaehyun.

“Just talked to Quinn's neighbors. Nobody saw or heard anything” he stated. Taeil looked over at him.

“Surveillance?” he demanded. Yuta sighed.

“Still looking, but so far, nothing” he replied.

“Rape Kit?” Doyoung inquired. Donghyuck looked over at him and shook his head.

“No semen, no DNA. But the perp definitely used a condom. They found a ripped packet underneath her bed. They're running that for prints and DNA now” he explained as he pointed to a photo of a ripped condom wrapper that was pinned up on their board.

“Yeah, so far, the only forensic evidence we have is a fresh cigarette butt it was found on the courtyard in front of Quinn's door” Yuta added. Taeyong sighed.

“Well, hopefully the lab will come up with some DNA. Otherwise, we got a whole lot of nothing” he grumbled. 

“Except Ray Wilson, of course” Jaehyun stated, motioning to the file in Taeyong’s hand. Taeil and Doyoung looked over at Taeyong and smirked.

“You want us to track him down?” Taeil inquired. Taeyong looked back at them and shook his head.

“Uh, no. Let's talk to this Sergeant Cole first. The more we know about Ray Wilson beforehand, the better” he stated before he pointed to Donghyuck.

“Let's take a ride to Ashor” he declared.

~*~*~*~*~

At Tom Cole’s residence, Taeyong and Donghyuck pulled up to see an older man playing football with a bunch of children of different ages. As they got out of the car and walked over to them, they watched as the children tackled the man to the ground, dog piling him.

“Who's winning?” Taeyong called out, making the kids quickly get off of the man and run away, allowing Taeyong and Donghyuck to speak him.

“Youth” the man replied as he pushed himself to his feet.

“You must be Captain Lee” he stated. Taeyong nodded.

“I am. And this is Detective Lee” he introduced. The man nodded in greeting to both men.

“Tom Cole” he replied, shaking both men’s hands.

“Nice place you got here” Donghyuck stated as he pulled his hand away. Cole nodded.

“Thanks. My wife does everything. I just grill the steaks” he replied. Taeyong and Donghyuck hummed before Cole motioned to the house.

“Let's get some privacy” he stated before he turned and headed inside, Taeyong and Donghyuck following after him.

~*~*~*~*~

“Have a seat” Cole instructed, motioning to the seats in the sitting room. As Taeyong and Donghyuck followed after him, Cole’s wife stepped into the room.

“I'll leave you folks to talk shop. Are you sure I can't get you guys something?” she asked. Taeyong and Donghyuck looked over at her, shaking their head.

“Oh, we're fine, thank you…” Taeyong replied, pausing to wait for the wife to give him her name.

“Uh, Linda” the wife replied.

“Linda” Taeyong stated with a smile. After she left, Taeyong and Donghyuck sat down before Tom Cole.

“I talked to Quinn a few hours ago” Cole stated, making Donghyuck and Taeyong’s eyes widened.

“Oh. She called you” Taeyong stated. Cole nodded.

“Yeah, she's devastated and terrified. She's convinced Ray Wilson did this” he explained.

“I understand. So you and Quinn are pretty close” Taeyong mused.

“My wife and I, we sort of took her in” Cole explained. Donghyuck hummed.

“She said that you spoke to Ray Wilson recently” he stated. Cole nodded.

“Yeah, after he sent that letter last month, Quinn got nervous. She was afraid he'd start stalking her again, so I paid him a visit. Reintroduced myself, you know what I mean” he explained.

“And how’d that go?” Taeyong inquired, raising an eyebrow. Cole shrugged.

“Okay. Considering how screwed up he is. He's clearly still obsessed with Quinn. So I gave him a little tutorial on how parole works; reminded him he's not allowed to contact her, or live within 35 miles of her, for that matter” he replied. Taeyong and Donghyuck nodded slowly.

“All right, what about work?” Donghyuck asked. Cole sighed.

“Different story. He can make a living wherever he wants. Right now, he's a chef at some French place in the city about 20 blocks from Quinn's apartment. Nothing we can do about it, either” he grumbled. Taeyong hummed.

“You know the name of this restaurant?” he asked. Cole nodded.

“Lafayette, I think” he replied. Taeyong hummed again before he pulled out his card and handed it to Cole.

“And if you can think of anything else please give us a call anytime” he stated, just as one of the children knocked at the window, drawing Cole’s attention.

“I'll be there in a sec” he called back before he looked at Taeyong and Donghyuck, who nodded to him.

“Thanks. We’ll be in touch” Taeyong stated before he motioned for Donghyuck to follow him out of the house.

~*~*~*~*~

As they walked away from the house, Taeyong pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed a number before placing the phone up to his ear.

“So he works at a restaurant called Lafayette Grand Cafe. It's on Lafayette and Great Jones” he stated to whoever was on the other line.

“Yeah, you know what, let Taeil and Doyoung take him. I’m sure they’d love that” he declared with a smile. There was a soft laugh on the other line, making Taeyong smile.

“Thanks Jaehyun” he thanked before he hung up and looked over at Donghyuck, who was smirking at him.

“You think Taeil and Doyoung are going to kill him?” he asked. Taeyong sighed.

“I hope not…” he murmured.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	21. Case 3: Next Chapter - Part 3

“Come on, come on, let's go. Let's pick it up, guys, we got 120 covers tonight” a sous chef barked at the rest of the kitchen staff, just as Doyoung and Taeil slipped into the kitchen to stand before him.

“Ray Wilson” Doyoung stated, making the sous chef look at him.

“Can I help you?” he asked. Taeil smirked.

“Moon Taeil and my partner, Kim Doyoung” he replied. Ray Wilson paled at those names for a second before he gulped.

“What do you want?” he demanded. 

“We want to talk to you about Quinn Berris” Doyoung replied, giving Ray a look. Ray swallowed before he sighed.

“Can we go somewhere else?” he asked. Taeil and Doyoung nodded, following Ray out the back so that they were alone.

“What's this all about? Why are you asking me about Quinn?” Ray demanded. Doyoung crossed his arms.

“We just want to know where you were last night” he replied calmly. Ray shook his head.

“Why do you want to know?” he demanded. Taeil gave him a look.

“Why don't you let us ask the questions? It works better that way” he reminded. Ray huffed.

“For you, maybe” he grumbled. Taeil raised an eyebrow.

“Would you rather us drag you down to the APD and question you there?” he snarled. Ray quickly shook his head before he sighed.

“Fine, uh, I was in Belmar” he admitted. Doyoung frowned.

“Doing what?” he inquired.

“Praying” Ray replied. Doyoung and Taeil frowned at him.

“Excuse me?” they asked at the same time.

“That's where my church group is” Ray explained. Taeil raised an eyebrow.

“Church group?” he repeated. Ray nodded before he huffed.

“Look, did something happen to Quinn?” he asked. Doyoung then placed his hands on his hips.

“What time did you leave the church?” he asked. Ray shook his head and crossed his arms, glaring at Taeil and Doyoung.

“I'm not talking about any of this until you tell me what happened” he snapped. Taeil and Doyoung looked at one another before Taeil sighed.

“She was assaulted” he deadpanned. Ray’s eyes widened.

“And you think I did it? No, you're crazy I was in church from 7:00 to—” he started.

“Until?” Doyoung prompted.

“10:30 or so” Ray replied. Taeil placed his hand on his hips.

“That's a lot of praying, Ray” he stated. Ray gave him a look.

“Yeah, well, I didn't think there was a time limit” he snapped.

“We're gonna need the names of all the men and women you were there with, okay?” Doyoung instructed. Ray nodded and pulled out a notepad and a pen from his apron pocket, quickly writing down names before handing it to Taeil, who took it and nodded before he and Doyoung turned, walking away.

~*~*~*~*~

After talking to Ray, Taeil and Doyoung headed down to Belmar, where Ray’s church group was.

“Let us walk honestly, as in the day, not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying” the pastor quoted after Doyoung asked him if he was with Ray Wilson last night. Doyoung frowned.

“So is that a yes, you were with Ray Wilson last night?” he asked. The pastor nodded as he began to place hymnals at the end of each pew.

“Correct. Ray and I discussed the meaning and nuances of that passage. Romans 13:13” he explained. Doyoung hummed as he followed after the pastor, hands in his coat pockets.

“And when did the meeting begin?” he asked.

“7:00” the pastor replied.

“And when did it end?” Doyoung asked, stepping closer to the man, looking into his eyes.

~*~*~*~*~

“We were here, deep into the night, talking and celebrating the power of Christ” one of the women in the kitchen explained to Taeil, who was standing at the island. Taeil huffed.

“That's great. But I need to know what time the meeting was actually over; was it 9:00, 10:00?” he demanded. The woman shook her head.

“There's no way Ray could have committed this heinous act” she declared. Taeil raised an eyebrow.

“Why's that?” he asked as he placed his hands on his hips.

“Because he's a good person. His light is beginning to shine bright. We're all very proud of him” the woman stated. Taeil huffed.

“I'm glad to hear that, but I need to know what time that meeting ended” he snapped. The woman then smiled at him.

“You should join us one night, sir. Never too late to rejoice in the bliss of our Savior” she explained. Taeil smiled slightly as his eyes flashed red.

“I'm good, but please tell me what time the damn meeting ended” he ordered.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the precinct, Donghyuck was sitting before a computer, looking at the surveillance tape, trying to figure out who attacked Quinn.

“Hey, any luck with the surveillance footage near Quinn's apartment?” Taeyong asked, walking out of his office and over to him. Donghyuck shook his head.

“No, not yet” he replied. Taeyong huffed.

“So keep searching. Send more unis down to the scene. Have 'em canvass the neighborhood, show them photos of Ray, you know, maybe he's hanging around. Watching, waiting” he grumbled. Donghyuck raised an eyebrow at him.

“You really think it’s him?” he asked. Taeyong shrugged as he walked over to him and sat down on the corner of his desk.

“Sometimes the answer is as simple as it seems, right? Occam's Razor” he replied. Donghyuck sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

“Or maybe he actually did find God in the can and he worked all that dark, ugly stuff out of his system” he murmured. 

“It's possible, but prison usually changes you for the worse, not the better, unfortunately” Jaehyun called out as he walked out of Taeyong’s office and over to join Taeyong and Donghyuck. 

“Like being a cop” Donghyuck grumbled.

“Who are you and what have you done with Haechan?” Yuta called out, looking over at Donghyuck with wide eyes. Donghyuck looked him, then Jaehyun and Taeyong, before he sighed.

“You really feel that way?” Taeyong asked gently.

“Talk to me in 20 years” Donghyuck murmured. Taeyong and Jaehyun nodded.

“I will” Taeyong assured.

“And you'll realize that the job doesn't change you, it makes you more of who you already are” Jaehyun added. Just then, Taeil and Doyoung walked into the precinct, shaking their heads in amazement.

“So listen to this: Ray Wilson's telling the truth” Doyoung stated.

“Dude was really praying” Taeil added. Doyoung nodded.

“There's video of him doing dishes in a church kitchen at 10:50 p.m., so even if he left at 10:51 and drove like a madman, he still wouldn't have made Asmaye until midnight at the earliest” he continued. Donghyuck then looked over at Taeyong and smirked.

“So much for Occam's Razor” he teased. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	22. Case 3: Next Chapter - Part 4

The next day, Taeyong called Quinn to the precinct to tell her about the progress that they had made.

“You're saying that Ray wasn't the one who did that to me?” Quinn exclaimed as she sat before Taeyong, Doyoung, and Taeil.

“We have strong evidence that suggests that he was in New Ashor at the time of the assault” Doyoung explained. Quinn shook her head.

“But if it wasn't Ray, then who was it?” she exclaimed. Taeyong sighed and shook his head.

“Well, we don't know yet, but we're gonna find them” he assured. Quinn let out a deep sigh before she put her head in her hands.

“I hope you do” she murmured. Taeil then cleared his throat.

“Okay, um…let's talk about what happened beforehand. Now, you said that you were at work, late. And then you went to a bar, right? Now, do you remember anything unusual happening there? Anybody staring at you or watching you?” he asked. Quinn was quiet before she nodded.

“There was this one guy, he was staring at me. For a second, I thought it was Ray, but it wasn't, it just kind of looked like him” she replied. Taeil, Doyoung, and Taeyong looked at one another before they looked back at Quinn, who let out a weak laugh.

“Look definitely a little paranoid” she murmured before she sighed deeply.

“A lot paranoid ever since—” she started when Taeyong held up a hand.

“It's okay. It's completely normal. I understand. Take a breath” he soothed. Quinn let out a little whine as she put her face in her hands, making Taeil, Doyoung, and Taeyong give her looks of sympathy. Taeyong then cleared his throat.

“So when we first met, you said that Ray Wilson had been stalking you for years…” he started. Quinn looked up from her hands and sighed.

“Yes. I guess that was a bit of an exaggeration. Um, I just…this past month, ever since Ray moved back to New Ashor, I just felt like someone's been watching me” she explained. Taeil frowned.

“Did you ever seen anybody actually watching you?” he asked, concerned. Quinn shook her head.

“No. It's…it's just this feeling. And you just get a sense that there's this dark energy focused in your direction. This guy I was dating, he saw someone once. Staring at my apartment, um, early one morning. And then, later that day, he saw the same guy staring at my apartment right across the street” she explained. Doyoung, Taeil, and Taeyong’s eyes widened.

“When was this?” Taeyong exclaimed.

“About three weeks ago” Quinn whispered.

“Did he get a good look at the guy?” Doyoung asked. Quinn shook her head.

“No, he just said that he was white and about my age, and I just assumed that it was Ray” she answered. Taeil hummed.

“Okay, what's his name, your ex?” he asked.

“Jack Price” Quinn answered. Taeyong nodded.

“We'll also need the name of the bar you were at the night of your assault” he stated. Quinn nodded.

~*~*~*~*~

After Taeyong got the information from Quinn, he sent Yuta and Sicheng to the bar to ask the bartender if he had seen Quinn.

“Yeah, it's Quinn. She comes here all the time. Yeah, she works at the consulting firm across the street, Chatterton” the bartender explained after Yuta showed him a picture of Quinn.

“Mmhmm, well, she was here two nights ago. You remember seeing here?” Sicheng asked. The bartender nodded.

“Yeah. Yeah, she was with some coworkers” he explained. Yuta hummed.

“Did you notice anybody watching her, staring at her?” he asked. The bartender shrugged.

“Everybody stares at Quinn. She's beautiful. And has this really honest, uh, intense energy, she's—” he started when Yuta held up a hand.

“You're starting to worry us here, Nate” he stated. The bartender, Nate, sighed.

“I'm just saying, she's pretty amazing. But no, I didn't notice anybody stalking her or acting weird” he replied. Yuta and Sicheng just stared at him before he sighed again.

“But she did get into a pretty intense argument with her work buddy” he admitted. Sicheng raised an eyebrow.

“How you know that?” he asked. 

“'Cause he smashed a beer bottle on the floor. I had to kick him out” Nate explained. 

“You know his name?” Sicheng asked.

~*~*~*~*~

Once they had gotten the name from Nate, Sicheng and Yuta headed over to Quinn’s workplace to speak to her co-worker.

“I-it was nothing, we were just arguing about whether or not our client should get more in touch with the millennial movement” Quinn’s co-worker, Ryan Engel, explained. Sicheng raised an eyebrow.

“It’s a movement now?” he asked. Ryan let out a chuckle before he shrugged.

“Well, it's not my fault if people my age are open to disruptive ideas” he replied. Yuta huffed.

“Congratulations, you're a disrupter. What we want to know is what happened after you left the bar” he snapped. Ryan paused and turned to face Yuta and Jaehyun, who just gave him a look. He then sighed.

“Hey, look, Quinn and I have been working together for four years. We're…we like each other, we respect each other, we're friends we're good friends. You know, she called me the day after all this happened. I told her to come stay at my apartment” he explained. Sicheng shook his head.

“That wasn’t the question” he snapped. 

“What we want to know is, where did you go after you left the bar?” Yuta demanded, crossing his arms. Ryan blinked at them before he let out a laugh.

“What, seriously? You're doing the whole "alibi" thing?” he asked. Sicheng and Yuta both gave him a look.

“We look pretty serious, right?” Sicheng asked.

“So take your time, walk us through every detail” Yuta ordered.

~*~*~*~*~

After talking to Ryan, Sicheng and Yuta headed to go find Quinn’s ex-boyfriend, Jack Price.

“Did I ever see a stalker near Quinn's apartment? Why? What's going on, is she okay?” Jack asked as he grabbed his suitcase out of his car trunk. Yuta nodded.

“She's fine, we're just following up on a complaint” he explained. 

“And Quinn told us you saw someone standing across from her apartment in the morning, and then again that same night” Sicheng added. Jack nodded.

“I did” he replied as he headed towards his apartment, Sicheng and Yuta following behind him.

“Yeah, did you see what he looked like?” Yuta asked.

“Yes” Jack answered. 

“How close did you get?” Sicheng asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Very. I, uh, confronted him. Said, _"What's your deal, dude? Why are you here?"_ He asked if I was dating Quinn. I told him to mind his own business. He swore at me, pushed me, so I hit him. In the face. Never saw him again” Jack explained. Yuta frowned.

“You tell her about this?” he asked. Jack shook his head.

“No. I, uh I didn't want to freak her out. Just that I saw someone and she should be careful” he explained before he frowned.

“Wait, you're not gonna arrest me for hitting some assclown, are you?” he asked. Sicheng and Yuta chuckled.

“No, we want to show you some photos, though” Yuta replied as he pulled his phone, pulling up Ray Wilson’s photo.

“That look like the assclown you punched in the face?” Sicheng asked. Jack shook his head.

“No” he replied. Yuta hummed before he swiped right to reveal Ryan’s photo.

“What about this guy?” he asked. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	23. Case 3: Next Chapter - Part 5

“I definitely wasn't stalking Quinn, all right? It was more like due diligence” Ryan explained after Jaehyun and Sicheng brought him in for questioning.

“Excuse me?” Sicheng asked.

“Look, I just, I wanted to know whether or not she was dating this Jack Price dude or not” Ryan explained before he chuckled.

“Look, my cousin, he has this sweet pad in Aspen, he told me that I could use it for the weekend, and I was gonna invite Quinn. But I just wanted to know if she was involved, so I went to her apartment one morning” he continued.

“And later that same night” Sicheng reminded.

“Okay, okay yeah, yeah, I sort of freaked out a little bit, but I wasn't stalking her, for God's sake. I mean, not in a creepy way” Ryan exclaimed. Sicheng gave him a look.

“There's no other way to stalk someone” he snapped.

“No, what I mean—” Ryan started when Sicheng raised an eyebrow. Ryan then threw up his hands.

“Okay, Quinn and I…I thought we were connecting. And one night, we sort of hooked up. Or, or no, I mean, we kissed, but so I asked her out, and she shut me down, and—” he started.

“You what?” Sicheng interrupted.

“I couldn't let it go. All right? No, I'm not proud of that. But I couldn't stop thinking about her, and then I just I heard her talking about some guy, and I couldn't get that image of Quinn and some random guy out of my head” Ryan answered before his eyes widened and he looked at Sicheng.

“Wait, no can you please just not tell her about any of this? She's never gonna forgive me, and after what she's gone through, she'll hate me” he exclaimed. Sicheng huffed.

“Before we worry about that, we need to talk about you and the night of the assault. After you left the bar, did you walk over to her apartment?” he asked. Ryan shook his head.

“No, after that frat dude hit me in the face, I never went back, ever” he replied. Sicheng crossed his arms.

“But you…you called her that night?” he asked. Ryan nodded.

“Yeah” he answered. 

“After you left the bar” Sicheng continued. Ryan nodded again.

“Yeah, to apologize, but she didn't pick up” he replied. Sicheng then tilted his head to the side.

“And where were you when you called her?” he asked.

“I…okay, I was right outside a Korean deli, right near my apartment on, like, Spring and Varick. Okay, I bought chocolate almonds and a pack of cigarettes” Ryan answered.

“You smoke?” Sicheng asked, raising an eyebrow.

“On occasion, yeah” Ryan answered. Sicheng smirked.

“Mm, it's bad for your health. Causes cancer. Even in millennials” he teased.

~*~*~*~*~

“Don't put the shovel down yet, Ryan. Keep digging” Taeyong instructed as he and Jaehyun watched Sicheng interrogate Ryan.

“This guy's annoying, but—” Jaehyun started, making Taeyong look over at him.

“But what?” he asked.

“My gut says he's not our guy” Jaehyun replied. Taeyong huffed.

“Well, that is good, but DNA's better” he stated. 

“I agree, but not in this case” a voice called out, making Donghyuck, Yuta, Taeyong, Doyoung, Taeil, and Jaehyun turn to see Mark walking over to them. Jaehyun’s eyes widened.

“What are you doing here?” he asked. Mark shrugged.

“Slow day” he replied. Taeil and Doyoung looked at the him with narrowed eyes, making Jaehyun look over at them.

“Doyoung, Taeil, this is ADA Mark Lee” he introduced. Mark looked over at Taeil and Doyoung and smiled kindly.

“Hi” he greeted. Taeil and Doyoung softened around him, once they realized that he weren’t a threat.

“Moon Taeil” Taeil introduced.

“I’m Kim Doyoung” Doyoung greeted, a soft smile on his face. Mark nodded in greeting before Doyoung tilted his head to the side. 

“What did you mean by _“not in this case”_?” he asked. Mark held up a file.

“The DNA for the cigarette butt came back. It's a match for Ray Wilson” he stated. Jaehyun, Taeyong, Donghyuck, Yuta, Doyoung, and Taeil looked at him in shock.

“Ray Wilson. The guy with the airtight alibi?” Donghyuck exclaimed. Mark nodded.

“That’s the one” he replied. Taeil shook his head.

“Okay, so if Wilson was in Ashor all night, praying, how the hell did his cigarette end up in Quinn's courtyard in the West Village?” he wondered aloud.

~*~*~*~*~

After they released Ryan, Taeyong and the others explained to Sicheng what Mark had told them. Sicheng then shook his head.

“What the fuck? Wilson was in New Ashor, but his cigarettes and DNA were in Asmaye? That makes sense” he exclaimed sarcastically. Jaehyun shrugged.

“Maybe he was there another time. A night or two before the assault” he suggested. Mark sighed.

“It's possible, but it poured like hell the night before Quinn was attacked. Now, the lab said that the sample was too pristine to have been in the rain” he explained. Doyoung hummed.

“So the cigarette had to be dropped there the night of the assault” he mused.

“Which means it was planted” Yuta deadpanned.

“Which means that somebody was following Ray Wilson, waiting for him to drop a cigarette” Taeyong declared. Taeil huffed mirthlessly.

“So the stalker was being stalked. Is that ironic or just weird?” he asked, looking over at Taeyong. Taeyong sighed and shook his head.

“Both” he replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	24. Case 3: Next Chapter - Part 6

Later that evening, Doyoung and Taeil headed to where Ray Wilson lived, shining the borrowed flashlights from Taeyong into Ray’s car, who was parked in the parking lot.

“Now what? Pinning me with the Kennedy assassination?” Ray snapped as he got out of his car, glaring at Doyoung and Taeil as they walked over to him. Doyoung shook his head.

“No, we actually believe you. We know you weren't in Asmaye the night that Quinn was attacked” he explained. Ray huffed.

“Okay? So why are you here?” he asked. Taeil sighed.

“Well, we think someone planted your cigarette butt there at the scene. Notice anybody suspicious watching you?” he asked. Ray was the one to sigh this time.

“When you get out of the can, you feel like the whole damn world is watching you. Judging you, hating you” he grumbled.

“Anybody in particular?” Doyoung asked, raising an eyebrow. Ray was quiet before he nodded.

“Uh, yeah, I noticed, uh a car” he replied. Taeil and Doyoung’s eyes widened.

“Following you?” Taeil asked.

“It was parked near the restaurant. Uh, black Cadillac, I think. I was taking a smoke break, and I noticed a car double parked, engine running” Ray explained. Doyoung and Taeil frowned.

“Okay, when was this?” Doyoung asked. Ray glared at him.

“Uh, day before you guys barged into my restaurant and accused me of assaulting Quinn” he spat. Taeil hummed.

“You see a face?” he asked. Ray shook his head.

“No” he replied.

“What about a plate?” Doyoung inquired. Ray scoffed.

“I’m not a cop, I’m a chef. Used to be, anyway, till you guys showed up. I got fired yesterday” he stated. Taeil and Doyoung blinked in surprise before they both bowed their heads.

“We’re sorry” they murmured at the same time. Ray was the one to blink in surprise this time before he nodded and grabbed his stuff out of his car and headed over to his apartment.

~*~*~*~*~

The next morning, Taeyong walked into precinct to find Yuta, Sicheng, and Donghyuck sitting at a computer, looking through the surveillance video that Doyoung and Taeil got from the restaurant.

“Okay, so what do we got?” he asked. Yuta glanced up at him before he looked back at the computer, typing a few keys before he projected the video onto the conference room TV.

“Surveillance footage from the restaurant where Wilson used to work. There this black Cadillac, he comes, he parks outside of the restaurant, right? It's the same day that Quinn got assaulted, 3:05 p.m. So he gets out, he runs towards the kitchen entrance, and then about five seconds later, he runs back and he takes off” he explained, pointing to the video. Taeyong hummed.

“Okay, so this is the entrance where Wilson takes his smoke breaks?” he asked. 

“Same one” Doyoung replied with a nod as he and Taeil walked into the precinct, making Taeyong, Jaehyun, Yuta, and Donghyuck, look up at them.

“And so this guy leaves with his cigarette butt?” Taeyong asked. 

“Seems that way” Donghyuck replied.

“We run the plate?” Taeyong asked. 

“We sure did. The car is registered to Linda Cole of Montclair, New Ashor” Sicheng called out as he and Mark walked over to the others. Taeyong looked at him in shock.

“As in the wife of Sergeant Tom Cole? Quinn's cop friend and savior?” he exclaimed. Mark nodded.

“That's right” he replied. Jaehyun hummed.

“So our hero, retired cop, planted the evidence?” he asked. Yuta crossed his arms.

“To bury Wilson because he assumes he committed the crime, or to cover his own ass, because he's the perp?” he wondered. Taeyong sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose and leaned against the table, making everyone look at him in concern.

“Captain?” Taeil asked, voice softly. Taeyong still said nothing, making Jaehyun stand up from his seat and walk over to his husband, gently placing a hand on his arm.

“Taeyong” he murmured. Taeyong sighed before he looked up at the others, who were still looking at him with concern.

“Well, it has to be the latter. Because he grabbed the cigarette butt before the assault even occurred” he murmured, leaning against Jaehyun, who quickly wrapped an arm around him.

“Which would mean he planned this whole thing” Donghyuck mused. Taeyong sighed deeply before he looked at Sicheng.

“You and Yuta go talk to Sergeant Cole; see if he admits parking his car at the restaurant” he ordered. Yuta nodded.

“We'll see if we can catch him in a lie” he assured. Taeyong sighed once more before he looked his detectives in the eyes.

“Be careful, guys, because he may be retired, but he's still a cop” he advised. Yuta nodded, standing up and grabbing his coat before heading out. Sicheng nodded as well, grabbing his coat before following after Yuta. Once they were gone, Taeyong sighed and turned his head, resting it in Jaehyun’s shoulder. Jaehyun smiled and tightened his arm around Taeyong, leaning down to place a kiss on his hair, while Mark and Donghyuck headed to a different part of the precinct to give Taeyong and Jaehyun some privacy, Taeil and Doyoung doing the same.

~*~*~*~*~

At a rather nice restaurant nearby, Yuta and Sicheng were sitting in a booth, Tom Cole sitting before them.

“I really appreciate you meeting with us, Tom” Yuta thanked. Cole smiled.

“Time, I got” he replied. Sicheng then cleared his throat.

“Well, in a turn worthy of Ripley's, CSU actually got back to us real quick with some results” he stated. Cole’s eyes widened.

“Under three day? Who’d you bribe?” he asked. Yuta chuckled.

“Exactly. We found a cigarette butt outside of Quinn's door, had Wilson's DNA all over it” he stated. Cole smiled triumphantly.

“There you go once a scumbag, always a scumbag. So you sure he's the guy?” he asked. Sicheng sighed.

“He's looking good, but the timeline is a little spotty. That's why we're trying to eliminate all potential suspects” he replied, making Yuta roll his eyes.

“It's more like theoretical suspects, 'cause these prosecutors, right? This guy, Lee; very methodical. He wants us to cross every T, right, before we make our collar” he grumbled. Sicheng nodded.

“And that's why we're here. He wants us to rule out every man that Quinn talked to the day of the incident” he continued.

“And phone records show that you called Quinn what, a few times the day before the incident and once the day of” Yuta stated. Cole nodded.

“Yeah, I wanted to give her an update on Wilson; I talked to his parole officer that day. I feel so sick about all of this. This punk, Wilson, deserves to die” he growled. Sicheng huffed.

“I don't disagree” he replied.

“So, if you don't mind, can you tell us where you were the night of the assault?” Yuta asked. Cole nodded in understand.

“I get it, you need an alibi to make the ADA happy” he replied. Yuta nodded.

“Like I said, this guy's a complete pain in the ass” he explained. 

“Unless there's a reason you don't want to tell us” Sicheng mused. Cole shook his head.

“Nah, it's fine. I was in full retirement mode. Had a nice dinner with the wife, then I was down in the basement all night. I'm building a new wine cellar. That's my new hobby” he explained. 

“What, collecting or drinking?” Yuta asked, raising an eyebrow. Cole chuckled.

“Both. Let me know when you make the collar. I'll crack a bottle of Bordeaux in Wilson's honor” he offered.

“You know what, we can crack the bottle at that restaurant he just got fired from” Sicheng stated, glancing over at Yuta, who nodded.

“Mr. Chef” Cole sneered.

“Sous chef” Sicheng corrected. Cole chuckled.

“Right, sous chef. For the longest time, I thought people were saying soup chef. What the hell do I know? I'm just a dumb cop from Ashor” he stated. Yuta hummed before he tilted his head at Cole.

“So that's where you talked to Wilson, at that restaurant?” he asked. Cole frowned.

“The restaurant? No. Never been there. I talked to him in Ashor outside his apartment” he stated. Sicheng and Yuta glanced at one another before Yuta smiled at Cole.

“Appreciate your time, Tom” he thanked before he slid out of the bench, Sicheng following after him.

“Thanks for your help” he thanked as he and Yuta walked away from the booth, leaning over so that Cole couldn’t hear the conversation.

 _“Son of a bitch is lying his ass off”_ he hissed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe! Also, I appreciate all the comments, but if y'all could maybe leave more kudos to balance out the comment to kudos ratio, I would greatly appreciate it! (I'm not being greedy; I'm just not fond of the fact that the comments outweigh the kudos that's all)


	25. Case 3: Next Chapter - Part 7

After Jaehyun and Taeyong had their moment, Taeyong and Doyoung went to the school that Linda worked at. The principal led them to Linda’s classroom, Taeyong thanking the man for showing them the way. When they stepped inside, Taeyong saw Linda standing next to one of the desk, a notebook in her hand.

“Linda. Sorry to bother you at work” he called out, making Linda turn towards them.

“Captain. What're you doing here?” she asked with a smile.

“Well, we had some follow-up questions about Quinn we were hoping to talk to you about” Taeyong replied. Linda blinked before she nodded.

“Oh, well, how can I help?” she asked.

“Confidentially, we're circling Ray Wilson for this” Doyoung explained.

“You know, so we think that he'd been following her for about a month, and now, of course, we have to prove it, which is easier said than done” Taeyong continued.

“Yeah, so we're trying to come up with a timeline of where Quinn has been. We're gonna start with the night of the assault and then move backwards” Doyoung added. Linda nodded.

“Okay, makes sense” she replied. Taeyong nodded as well.

“Okay. So Quinn told me that she had dinner with you and Tom the night of the assault” he started when Linda shook her head.

“No, I haven't seen her for months. I don't know why she would say that” she replied with a frown. Taeyong and Doyoung looked at one another before Taeyong shrugged.

“Well, you know, maybe she got confused. You know, that's not unusual this type of trauma can cause memory issues” he explained. Doyoung then crossed his arms.

“So, um, you're absolutely sure that she wasn't at your house that night?” he asked. Linda shook her head.

“No, it was just me and Tom” she replied. Doyoung smiled slightly.

“A nice, quiet, romantic dinner, huh?” he asked. Linda let out a weak laugh before she nodded.

“Yeah, something like that. We, uh, ate until about 8:30, and then he went down to the basement. He's building a wine cellar there” she explained.

“Ah” Doyoung replied before his face turned serious, Taeyong’s face matching his. Linda looked between the Underboss and the Captain before she frowned.

“Is my husband a suspect, Captain?” she asked. Taeyong sighed.

“Yes. He is” he replied. Linda’s eyes widened before she let out a pant and turned away from the two men.

“And if you know something, please tell us” Taeyong begged. Linda glanced back at him before looking over at Doyoung, who was staring back at her with pleading brown eyes.

“Linda, we need your help. You have a daughter. And Quinn told us that they were friends” Taeyong continued. Linda let out a whimper before she sat down at one of the children’s desk, letting out a sob.

“I can't believe this is happening” she cried.

“The night of the assault. Was Tom really in the basement all night, working on a wine cellar?” Doyoung asked gently. Linda sniffled before she looked up at Doyoung and Taeyong.

“He was, for a while. But he was angry. He was distracted. And then he left. He said that he was going to Home Depot, but I didn't see him again until the morning. He said if anyone ever asks, tell them that he was home all night” she explained. Taeyong nodded in understanding.

“Okay, Linda is there someone that you can stay with for a while?” he asked. Linda nodded.

“My sister” she replied.

“Go to her today. We'll be in touch” Taeyong assured. Linda nodded before she let out a sigh and hung her head. Taeyong and Doyoung then exited the classroom, Taeyong pulling out his phone as they left.

“Cole's wife just blew his alibi wide open” he stated once he connected to the precinct’s phone.

_“Open enough to bring him in?”_ Mark asked on the other line.

“Yes. Listen, I need you to issue an arrest warrant. Once you do that, track down Quinn. I think she's staying at the, uh, Park Milano with her mother. Tell her what’s going on” Taeyong ordered. 

_“Yes sir”_ Mark replied. 

~*~*~*~*~

At the Park Milano Hotel, Mark and Donghyuck quickly walked over to the reception desk, Mark holding up a picture of Quinn on his phone.

“Hi, ADA Lee, Detective Lee. We're looking for a guest of yours, Quinn Berris” Mark stated. 

“She stayed here the past few nights with her mother” Donghyuck added. The receptionist nodded.

“Oh, sure, I saw her 20 minutes ago. Very nice young woman” she replied. Mark and Donghyuck’s eyes widened.

“Was she alone?” Donghyuck exclaimed. The receptionist shook her head.

“No, I think she was with a man” she replied. Mark then swiped on his phone, revealing a picture of Tom Cole.

“Is this the guy?” he asked.

“Oh, I'm not sure I didn't get a real good look” the receptionist replied.

“She didn't say where she was going?” Donghyuck asked. The receptionist shook her head again.

“No, sorry” she replied. Mark and Donghyuck nodded before they turned away from the reception desk, Mark dialing Quinn’s number.

“Quinn, this is ADA Lee. Please call me or Captain Lee as soon as you get this” he instructed as Donghyuck pulled his phone out as well.

“I'll call Taeyong, let him know what's going on” he stated. 

~*~*~*~*~

After Donghyuck called Taeyong, he and Doyoung headed to the Cole residence, getting out of the car, just as Linda was leaving her house.

“What is it now?” Linda asked, concern in her voice as Taeyong and Doyoung walked over to her.

“We're looking for Quinn” Taeyong stated, making Linda frown.

“Why? What happened? Is she okay?” she asked. Doyoung shook his head.

“We don’t know. Somebody disabled her phone and we can't trace it” he explained. Linda sighed deeply.

“I just I don't believe that Tom would actually do something like this” she murmured. Doyoung then reached out a hand, placing it on her arm.

“Linda, listen to me, assume for a minute that he did. Okay? Now, where would he be heading? Any place he'd hide?” he asked gently. 

“Do you own any other property?” Taeyong continued, voice also gentle. Linda shook her head before she let out a pained whine, making Taeyong and Doyoung look at her with wide eyes.

“Oh, God Tom's brother has an old farmhouse in Harding. He's never there. He lives in Brouyae. Tom's been doing some renovation work for him” she explained.

“Linda, I know that this is very difficult for you. But I need the exact address and I need it now” Taeyong instructed. Linda glanced at him before she nodded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	26. Case 3: Next Chapter - CASE CLOSED

“Hey, how we doing on that BOLO?” Taeyong asked as he and Doyoung headed up to Cole’s brother’s house.

_“_ _Well, bridge and tunnel authorities have his license plate and his photo, but no hits”_ Yuta replied over the phone, which was on speaker.

“Okay, well, Doyoung and I are following up on a lead from Cole's wife. It's a farmhouse out in Harding, about ten minutes away. After that, we'll head back to the city” Taeyong stated.

_“_ _I just got an E-ZPass photo from the GW Bridge. It's Cole. He's got Quinn. She's sitting right beside him”_ Yuta breathed, making Taeyong and Doyoung look at one another with wide eyes.

“Okay, and when was it taken?” Doyoung demanded.

_“_ _45 minutes ago”_ Yuta replied. Taeyong nodded.

“Okay, call the state police and the FBI now. We need all the help on this that we can get, okay?” he ordered before he hung up.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the precinct, after Taeyong hung up, Yuta quickly dialed “911”.

“Yeah, this is Sergeant Nakamoto Yuta, APD: SVU. I've got a kidnapping case” he stated.

~*~*~*~*~

When Doyoung and Taeyong arrived at the house, they parked far enough away so that Cole wouldn’t be able to see them.

“This is it” Doyoung declared. Taeyong nodded.

“All right, let's take a look around” he instructed. Doyoung nodded and they both quickly got out, Taeyong heading to the back of the car to pull out a bulletproof vest. He quickly pulled it on and strapped it tight to his chest before he pulled another one out and held it out to Doyoung.

“Put this on” he ordered. Doyoung frowned.

“I don’t need one” he assured. Taeyong fixed him with a look.

“If you die, Taeil will have my head. Put. The. Damn. Vest. On” he growled. Doyoung raised an eyebrow before he smirked and took the vest, putting it on and strapping it to his chest before he nodded.

“Okay” he whispered. Taeyong then reached into the trunk and pulled out another Glock, holding it by the muzzle out to Doyoung.

“Here” he stated. Doyoung looked over at him and smirked as he took the Glock and pulled the slide back.

“Be careful” Taeyong instructed. Doyoung rolled his eyes.

“I’ll be fine, Captain” he assured. Taeyong then stepped forward so that he was close to Doyoung, making the underboss’s eyes widen.

“I said, be careful. I consider you part of my family, Doyoung. I am not letting you die on me” he hissed. Doyoung smiled as he reached out and gently patted Taeyong’s cheek.

“Thank you for your concern, Captain, but I’ll be fine” he assured before he quietly walked around the car, gun out in front of him. Taeyong huffed before he followed after him, both men quietly creeping towards the house.

“It looks empty” Doyoung whispered, glancing back at Taeyong, who sighed. They continued towards the house before Doyoung suddenly stopped, grabbing Taeyong’s wrist.

“Whoa, whoa. Black Cadillac” he whispered, motioning with his chin to the black car in the driveway. 

“Okay, ready? Here we go” Taeyong whispered back. Doyoung nodded as he removed his hand from Taeyong’s wrist and allowed the Captain to go first, both men quietly creeping up to the Black Cadillac. As they searched the property, up on the second floor, Taeyong noticed a curtain being pulled back and soon Cole appeared at the window, gun in his hand. 

“Gun!” he exclaimed, grabbing Doyoung by the back of his vest before yanking him behind the Cadillac.

“Sergeant Cole?! It’s Captain Lee! I know you're up there” he shouted as Doyoung pulled out his phone.

“HELP! HE’S GOT A GUN!” Quinn screamed from inside the house, making Taeyong’s eyes widen before he pulled out his phone.

“This is Captain Lee Taeyong. I'm at 31 Timber Lane Road. I got one suspect. He's barricaded, he's armed. He's got one hostage. Send a tactical team and HN right now” he barked before he put the phone away, only to have it ring again. He let out a groan before he pulled out his ringing phone.

“Lee” he answered.

~*~*~*~*~ 

“You need to leave now” Cole snapped as he dragged Quinn through the house.

~*~*~*~*~

“Let's just talk this through, Sergeant. Let's just talk this through” Taeyong begged.

~*~*~*~*~

“There's nothing to say” Cole growled as he dragged Quinn through a door and into another room.

~*~*~*~*~

“Oh, sure there is. There's always something to say. And I want to hear what you have to say. I want to understand, but first, you need to let Quinn go, okay?” Taeyong instructed from where he and Doyoung were still hiding behind the Cadillac.

~*~*~*~*~

“She's safe. She's here with me. Where she belongs” Cole assured as he gently rubbed his cheek against Quinn’s, smiling slightly, the gun still in his hand.

~*~*~*~*~

Taeyong shook his head.

“No, Cole. Quinn belongs in Asmaye. She belongs with her family, she belongs with her friends, and you know that because you're a very, very smart man. You are a career police officer and I know that you understand that” he stated, hoping that Cole would get what he was saying.

~*~*~*~*~

“I know what you're doing, Lee. You can save the psychobabble. I said the same things when I was on the job. Make the perp feel safe, empowered. Treat him with respect. It's all crap. I know it, you know it” Cole growled as he dragged Quinn through the house, tightening his grip on her.

~*~*~*~*~

Taeyong sighed.

“Okay, then I'm gonna shoot you straight and tell you that you and I need to figure out something very fast before the SWAT team and before the FBI get here. Can we do that?” he asked.

~*~*~*~*~

Up in the house, Cole removed the phone from his ear and placed it against him before he pressed a kiss to Quinn’s temple.

“Be quiet. Everything’s going to be fine” he soothed.

~*~*~*~*~

Back outside, Doyoung looked over at Taeyong, panting slightly.

“I'm gonna see if I can make eyes on him” he whispered. Taeyong looked back at him and nodded.

_“_ _Be careful”_ he mouthed. Doyoung nodded and quickly pushed himself to half-standing, creeping around the Cadillac so that Cole wouldn’t see him.

~*~*~*~*~

“For a second…for a stupid second, I thought she cared about me. And she was grateful I came into her life, and she understood the sacrifices a guy like me makes to keep her safe” Cole snarled as he dragged Quinn into an empty room and pushed her up against one of the structural wall posts before pointing his gun to her head.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, Doyoung creeped around the car and leapt over the gate while Taeyong kept Cole distracted.

“You did. And you did keep her safe. And you need to keep her safe now” he begged.

~*~*~*~*~

“And have her spit in my face again? Not return my calls? Cancel dinner? All my life, beautiful whores like you taking advantage; look the other way. You know what I did for 20 years? The things I saw. The lives I saved. You don't care” Cole hissed as he glared at Quinn, gun still at her head.

~*~*~*~*~

“I care. And I care because I understand” Taeyong soothed as Doyoung went over to the side door and opened it, slipping inside, gun out in front of him.

“You and I have spent our lives on the job, given it our all. And you're right. We are taken for granted. People don't get it, they don't understand. You're absolutely right” Taeyong continued as Doyoung quietly crept through the house, gun still out in front of him. Meanwhile, Cole felt something was off so he slipped away from Quinn, looking over the banister, trying to see something, but he saw nothing.

“It doesn't feel good, but you and I both know that that's not Quinn's fault. So you need to let her go. Okay? You're a cop, I know that you understand this. So I need you to listen to me and understand that you have the opportunity right now, right here, to stand up and do the right thing one more time” Taeyong continued. Cole huffed as he walked back over to Quinn, pointing the gun at her head again.

_“_ _You mean one last time”_ he replied. 

~*~*~*~*~

Outside, still behind the car, Taeyong’s eyes widened.

“Tom? Listen to me, I want you to think about your wife. I want you to think about Linda, that woman that loves you. I want you to think about your daughter who loves you. They both love you” he exclaimed, trying to get Cole to understand.

~*~*~*~*~

Up in the house, Cole’s face was full of emotion as Quinn whimpered before him, scared out of her mind.

_“_ _Now listen to me—”_ Taeyong started.

“They don't love me” Cole argued as he moved the gun from Quinn’s head to his temple.

~*~*~*~*~

“Yes, they do. Tom? Tom, there's a future here. You have a future” Taeyong pleaded.

~*~*~*~*~

“No, no, there isn't” Cole cried, pressing the gun for a moment before pointing it back at Quinn, who whimpered and turned her head away.

“20 years I gave. Tell Linda I'm sorry” Cole pleaded.

~*~*~*~*~

“Listen to me, listen to me, you take a breath, listen to me right now. Okay? Don't hang up on me” Taeyong begged, tears coming to his eyes. 

~*~*~*~*~

“I'm really sorry. I did the best I could” Cole apologized before he hung up and dropped his phone away from him before looking at Quinn, who was flinching away from the gun pointed at her.

~*~*~*~*~

Back in the house, Doyoung was still quietly walking throughout the house, gun still drawn, when he heard Quinn’s cries and whimpers coming from above him. When he heard her cries, he quietly climbed up the stairs to the second floor, checking around for any sign of Cole. When he didn’t see anything, he continued up the stairs to the unfinished second floor. He then stepped through the ripped polyfilm before heading towards a closed door, slowly pushing it open, only to find no Quinn. He then slowly backed out, hearing the cries come from another closed door, so he quickly rushed over to the doors and kicked it open, only to find Quinn tied to a structural beam, duct tape over her mouth. As he slowly walked towards her, he noticed that she was squirming and motioning with her chin to something behind him, so he turned, only to find a gun pointed in his face.

~*~*~*~*~

Downstairs, Taeyong was still hiding behind the Cadillac when Taeil and the others arrived, Taeil quickly getting out of the car that Jaehyun was driving.

“Where’s Doyoung?” he demanded as he looked at Taeyong.

“He went inside” Taeyong replied. Taeil’s eyes widened before he let out a stream of curses under his breath before he rushed around the car and towards the house.

“Taeil!” Taeyong exclaimed, rushing after the man.

~*~*~*~*~

Back upstairs, Cole was still standing before Doyoung, who looked a little like a deer in the headlights.

“Drop your weapon now” Cole ordered, pressing the gun harder into Doyoung’s forehead. Doyoung nodded and slowly knelt down, placing the gun on the ground before slowly standing tall again.

“Don’t do this. Please. It doesn't have to end like this” he begged. Cole smirked.

“It’s too late for that” he replied, finger tightening on the trigger, but before he could pull it, Taeil suddenly appeared behind Cole, pressing both hands on either side of his head, eyes glowing red as he applied pressure. Cole screamed in agony before his head suddenly exploded, spraying blood, bone, and brains everywhere, covering both Doyoung and Taeil in blood. Doyoung gasped before he collapsed to the ground, but before he reach it, Taeil gathered him into his arms and pulled him against him, both men sinking to the ground.

“Shh…I’ve got you, Doyoung. I’ve got you. You’re okay” Taeil whispered as Doyoung let out shuddering breaths, clutching at Taeil’s suit as he buried his face into Taeil’s chest. There was nothing better than to be in Taeil’s arms right now, since he felt small and vulnerable, so it was nice that Taeil was here to hold him. Meanwhile, Taeyong rushed up the stairs, only to see the headless body of Tom Cole and the remains of blood, bones, and brains sprayed everywhere.

“What the fuck…” he breathed, making Taeil looked up at him, eyes glowing red. 

**“** **He was going to kill Doyoung”** he growled. Taeyong nodded in understanding before he rushed over to Quinn, kneeling before her.

“Quinn? Quinn, look at me. Look at me. Quinn? Quinn, look at me, look at me, look at me. You're safe” he soothed as he carefully ripped off the duct tape from her mouth, causing her to let out a loud cry. Taeyong then quickly bundled her into his arms, hushing her as he gently petted her hair.

“Quinn, you're safe now. You're safe. You're safe. I got you. I got you. Shh. I got you” he soothed.

~*~*~*~*~

After the whole ordeal, Taeil led Doyoung over to the ambulance to get checked out while Jaehyun headed over to Taeyong, who was a little shaken as well.

“How are you?” he asked gently. Taeyong glanced at him before he gave him a weak smile.

“I’m fine” he assured. Jaehyun gave him a look and Taeyong sighed.

“Can we…talk about it later?” he asked softly. Jaehyun nodded.

“Of course. Oh, and the LBA is sending a representative to the station. He'll be with you when you make your statement” he stated. Taeyong nodded.

“Thank you” he replied, giving Jaehyun a small smile before he stepped forward, pressing a soft kiss to his husband’s lips. Jaehyun smiled, a small blush on his cheeks, before he walked away, allowing Taeyong to walk over to where Quinn was sitting in a police cruiser.

“Hey, so they're gonna take you to the hospital for precautionary purposes, all right?” he stated gently. Quinn sniffled before she looked up at him.

“He said I was ungrateful. I appreciated him, I did! I don't understand—” she started when Taeyong held up a hand, smiling gently at her.

“Quinn. This is not your fault. You hear me? Guys like Cole, they're…they're predators. And they look for light and they look for goodness and they and they try to steal it. But promise me you will not blame yourself for this” he instructed, looking Quinn in the eyes. Quinn nodded before she let out a weak laugh.

“Thank you, Captain” she thanked. Taeyong nodded before he turned and headed over to the ambulance, where Taeil was sitting next to Doyoung, an arm wrapped around his husband.

“How’s she doing?” Taeil asked. Taeyong shook his head.

“She doesn't understand why he would do this to her. I don’t either” he replied with a sigh. Doyoung looked up at him and smiled slightly before he motioned to the place on the other side of him on the back of the ambulance. Taeyong smiled as he walked over and sat down next to the man.

“Maybe all those years on the job, dealing with the worst of the worst, I mean, how do you come out of that clean?” Doyoung murmured. Taeyong shook his head.

“No, being a cop didn't change him. He was always bad, it just it just took time to come out” he replied softly. The three men then sat in silence before Taeyong looked over at Taeil.

“Okay, but like…how the fuck did you explode his head like that?” he asked. Taeil chuckled.

“One perks of being a fallen angel…you get unparalleled strength” he replied, eyes flashing red. Taeyong hummed.

“I see…and what about you, Doyoung?” he asked. Doyoung looked over at him before he smiled.

“Phoenix. But today I felt more like deer in the headlights” he whimpered, the smile falling from his face. Taeil quickly wrapped his arms around Doyoung and hugged him tight.

“It’s okay, Doyoung” he soothed.

“I thought you were very brave, Doyoung” Taeyong praised. Doyoung looked over at him and smiled slightly.

“Really?” he asked. Taeyong nodded.

“You went in there to confront a madman. That takes bravery and courage” he praised. Doyoung blushed as he turned his face away.

“Thank you, Captain” he murmured. Taeyong smiled before he looked at Taeil.

“You know…I consider you and Doyoung family now, along with my husband, Mark, and my detectives. If you ever need anything from me, please don’t hesitate to ask” he offered.

Taeil and Doyoung looked at him in shock before Taeil smiled softly.

“Thank you, Captain. Seriously” he thanked. Taeyong nodded.

“Thank you, too. You two were a big help to this investigation” he replied. Doyoung smiled as he reached out from underneath the blanket that he was wearing and gently touched Taeyong’s cheek before giving it a pinch, making Taeyong let out a cry of surprise.

“Yah!” he exclaimed. Both Doyoung and Taeil laughed at Taeyong’s expression and soon Taeyong was laughing as well, the three men laughing in the back of an ambulance, forgetting the events that occurred a few moments ago for a little while.

**_CASE CLOSED_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	27. Case 4: We Call Her Jellybean - Part 1

It was a bright and sunny day as Chief Wu Yifan and his team responded to a large two-story house fire.

“Upper unit, fully involved” Yifan stated as he and his Captain, Huang Zitao, followed him. 

“Alright, I’m one also” he stated.

“You gonna put that sucker out before the whole damn block goes up?” the house’s neighbor demanded. Yifan looked over at him and huffed.

“Sir, I’m gonna have to ask you to step back” he ordered. 

“I’m gonna get the one next door; that one’s mine” the neighbor stated. 

“He said stand back” Zitao snapped. The neighbor rolled his eyes but stepped back as Yifan looked over at his team.

“Squad. Search and rescue second floor” he ordered. Zitao nodded.

“Copy that” he replied before looking over at two other members of the team, Kim Minseok and Kim Jongdae.

“Squad 3, with me” he ordered as he headed up to the second floor. Yifan’s Lieutenant, Lu Han, then stepped forward.

“I’ll take the downstairs” he stated. Yifan nodded.

“Go to it” he ordered. Lu Han nodded before looking over at two more members of the team, Park Chanyeol and Byun Baekhyun.

“Chanyeol, Baekhyun, round back” he ordered before looking at another member, Oh Sehun.

“Sehun, with me” he instructed. Sehun nodded and followed after Lu Han while Chanyeol and Baekhyun headed around the back.

~*~*~*~*~

Inside, Lu Han looked around at the burning house, not really able to see anything.

“Fire department, call out!” he shouted. When there was nothing, he noticed a power-strip loaded with too many cables.

“Looks like an overloaded power strip” he stated, pointing at it to Sehun before pointing to the back.

“Check out the back of the house” he ordered. Sehun nodded.

“Copy that” he replied before heading to the back of the house.

“Fire Department, call out!” he shouted as he entered the back room. He heard coughing coming from the stairs, so he quickly rushed up the stairs to find a man laying there.

“Hyung I need help!” he called out. Lu Han came running, rushing up the stairs to help.

“Sir, can you walk?” Sehun demanded. 

“Victoria!” the man exclaimed. 

“Excuse me?” Sehun replied.

“Upstairs neighbor” the man coughed.

~*~*~*~*~

Up on the second floor, Zitao was looking around.

“Fire Department, call out!” he shouted before he motioned to Jongdae and Minseok.

“Check the bedroom” he ordered.

~*~*~*~*~

Outside, Sehun and Lu Han were leading the man away from the fire while Jongdae and Minseok were searching the bedroom.

“Fire department, call out!” Jongdae shouted. He then noticed a badly burnt woman on the bed, causing his eyes to widen.

“Min!” he exclaimed. Minseok was at his side in a second, both men quickly helping the woman off the bed, just as it caught fire. As they were walking towards the door, Jongdae fell through the floor, causing him to cry out.

“Chen!” Minseok shouted before he looked towards the door.

“TAO!” he screamed. Zitao burst through the door, noticing Jongdae sticking out of the floor.

“Get him out, I’m taking the girl” Minseok stated. Zitao nodded and waited for Minseok to quickly rush out the door before he pulled Jongdae out of floor. Once he was okay, Zitao radioed Yifan.

“Coming down now along with a badly burned female who needs immediate transport” he barked.

 _“Copy that”_ Yifan replied.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, outside, the two EMTs at the scene, Kim Junmyeon and his husband, Zhang Yixing, were sitting with the man that Lu Han and Sehun brought out, an oxygen mask on his face.

“61 to Main, we need a second ambo” Yixing stated into his walkie after hearing Zitao’s statement into the walkie. Sehun then looked at them.

“Go ahead. I’ll watch him” he assured. Junmyeon and Yixing nodded.

“Name’s Billy Carson” Yixing stated before he and Junmyeon walked off, Junmyeon pushing a gurney.

“It was burning when I got here. I call 911. I went inside to check on Victoria. Is she, um—” Billy started when he looked up to see Yixing and Junmyeon pushing a badly burnt woman towards a second ambulance.

“Oh man…damn” Billy whispered.

~*~*~*~*~

At the second ambulance, Yixing and Junmyeon were checking on the woman when she suddenly let out a gasp.

“Her airways are swelling due to the burns. We need to intubate now” Junmyeon ordered. Yixing frowned.

“She already has IO access in the shoulder” he stated. 

“She needs more fluids than she’s not burned there” Junmyeon replied before he took a needle and entered it into her jugular, placing a piece of tape over it so that it would fall out as it administered the fluids. Once the needle was in her neck, Yixing handed Junmyeon a flashlight and a tube for the oxygen tube; Junmyeon carefully inserting the tube before Yixing placed the oxygen pump over it and slowly began to pump as Junmyeon placed his stethoscope over the woman’s lungs to make sure that he heard air being pumped into her lungs. Yixing continued to pump while looking at Junmyeon, who continued to listen before he nodded.

“We’re in” he declared. Yixing nodded in agreement.

“Okay” he replied before he and Junmyeon quickly entered the ambulance, Lu Han helping them push the gurney into the ambulance. After the door of the ambulance closed, the ambulance took off, rushing the woman to the hospital. While they were heading off, Lu Han walked over to Billy as the rest of the fire department was putting out the fire.

“Hey, all those computer wires stuffed into one outlet; they yours?” he asked. Billy nodded.

“Yes sir” he replied. Lu Han shook his head.

“You gotta be more careful” he scolded before he turned and walked off. Billy watched him leave before he looked over at Sehun.

“I used a power strip, I cut it off, I swear to God I did” he assured. Sehun shook his head.

“He doesn’t know that’s what started it. You gotta keep the faith, Billy. Truth comes out” he replied. Billy looked at him with tearful eyes.

“You believe me, don’t you?” he asked. Sehun looked at him before he nodded.

“Yeah, I do” he replied. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	28. Case 4: We Call Her Jellybean - Part 2

Meanwhile, Yixing and Junmyeon walked into the ER, pushing the gurney carrying Victoria.

“Third degree burns and severe smoke inhalation” Yixing stated as he and Junmyeon walked in.

“Get her prepped for the burn unit” one of the doctors ordered, two nurses coming to assist the two EMTs. They then pushed the gurney into an empty room, Junmyeon handing the doctor the oxygen pump while the two nurses went onto the other side of the bed.

“On three” the doctor ordered. 

“One. Two. Three” she counted; on three, Junmyeon, Yixing, and the two nurses lifted Victoria off the gurney and onto the bed, the doctor still pumping oxygen into the woman’s lungs. Once she was in the hands of the doctors, Yixing and Junmyeon walked over to the sign in sheet, Junmyeon signing in. 

“Nice call on the IV to the jugular, babe” Yixing praised. Junmyeon smiled.

“Thanks” he replied before he looked at Yixing.

“Wanna get lunch?” he asked. Yixing nodded.

“Sure” he agreed.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the Fire Station, Sehun was enjoying a cup of coffee when a friend of his, Detective Huang “Lucas” Xu Xi of the Skyistan Police Department walked into the station.

“Lucas” he greeted with a smile. Lucas smiled in return.

“Hey hyung. Listen, you gotta second?” he asked. Sehun nodded.

“Yeah, what’s up?” he asked.

“The guy you pulled out of the fire this morning, Billy Carson?” Lucas replied. Sehun nodded.

“Yeah? What about him?” he asked.

“Talk to him at all?” Lucas inquired. Sehun shrugged.

“Uh, yeah, a little. He said uh, he was out to buy a new video game and when he got back, the place was on fire. Found him passed out on the stairs from the smoke” he answered. Lucas crossed his arms.

“His story, you buy it?” he asked. Sehun frowned.

“Yeah, why?” he replied. Lucas sighed.

“When they admitted the upstairs neighbor to the burn unit at Skiystan Med, they found…” he started, pausing to take a breath.

“Take your time kid” Sehun soothed.

“Before she got burned up, somebody raped her and left her for dead” Lucas deadpanned. Sehun looked at him in shock.

“You fucking serious?” he whispered. Lucas nodded.

“Dead serious” he replied. Sehun ran a hand through his hair.

“Shit…” he murmured.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Sehun was sitting in his bunk, playing on his phone, when Zitao walked in and walked over to him.

“Hey, Sehun” he called out. Sehun looked up at him.

“Yeah” he replied.

“Some guy’s looking for you; said you pulled him out of the Wabash fire” Zitao stated. Sehun frowned.

“Billy Carson?” he asked. Zitao shrugged.

“Hell if I know” he replied. Sehun frowned and put his phone in his pocket before he pushed himself off his bunk and headed outside to where the trucks were, Billy quickly walking over to meet him.

“Hey, what’s going on, Billy?” he asked. Billy let out a huff.

“Victoria; I went to go visit her in Skiystan Med” he explained.

“Yeah?” Sehun replied.

“When I got there, the cops started questioning me; they’re taking my fingerprints, swabbing the inside of my mouth like it’s my fault or something” Billy explained. Zitao frowned and crossed his arms.

“Well was it?” he asked. Billy shook his head.

“No man. No, I always turn the power strip off when I’m not using it, I swear to God” he replied before he looked over at Sehun.

“You still believe me, right? You said you did” he stated. Sehun nodded.

“Yeah, I do” he replied. Billy let out a sigh of relief.

“Thank God because I was hoping you could put in a word for me if anybody asks” he stated. Sehun glanced at Zitao before he nodded.

“Yeah, sure. Just give me your number” he replied. Billy handed him a slip of paper before he looked him in the eyes.

“Truth comes out, right?” he asked. Sehun nodded.

“Yeah, it does” he replied. Billy nodded.

“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much” he thanked before he turned and walked out of the station. Sehun and Zitao looked at one another before Sehun sighed.

“You good?” Zitao asked. Sehun looked at him and nodded.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine” he replied. Zitao smiled slightly.

“If you’re ever not, you’ve always got Kris and me. Lu Han too” he reminded. Sehun looked at him and smiled.

“Thanks” he thanked. Zitao nodded.

“Sure” he replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	29. Case 4: We Call Her Jellybean - Part 3

A few hours later, Yifan was getting back from a run when Sehun walked up to him.

“Kris” he greeted, making Yifan raise an eyebrow.

“Sehun. What’s up?” he asked. 

“I need your eyes” Sehun stated. Yifan frowned.

“Sure, for what?” he asked. Sehun sighed.

“Lucas asked me to take a look at the Wabash fire, see if there’s any sign of arson” he explained. Yifan frowned.

“You tell him that OFI’s looking into it?” he asked. Sehun nodded before he sighed.

“He just wants a gut-check. And I told him I'd ask you to come with” he explained. Yifan nodded.

“Alright” he agreed before he motioned to the station.

“Just let me take a shower and get changed, okay?” he asked. Sehun nodded.

“Sure. Thanks” he thanked. Yifan nodded.

“No problem” he replied before he headed off into the station.

~*~*~*~*~

After Yifan showered and got changed, he and Sehun headed back to the scene, heading to where the overcrowded power strip was.

“Lu Han thought it was over here” he stated, pointing to the power strip with his flashlight before shaking his head.

“Billy swears he turned it off” he stated. Yifan hummed before he walked over to the power strip and knelt down before it, pulling out a pocketknife.

“There’s no way to know though” he murmured before he noticed something on the tower, so he quickly scraped some of it off with the knife and held it up to his nose, sniffing it.

“What?” Sehun asked. Yifan looked over at him and held out the knife, allowing Sehun to take it and sniff it before looking at Yifan.

“Burnt rubber?” he asked. Yifan nodded.

“Yeah, that's what it smells like” he replied before he shone his light upwards towards the ceiling.

“Looks like it was dripping from the ceiling” he mused before looking over at Sehun.

“Let's go check out the second floor” he declared. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

Up on the second floor, Sehun and Yifan walked over to where they thought the burnt rubber came from, Yifan digging at the small hole with his knife.

“So, what? It dripped through the hole and spread the fire down below?” Sehun asked. Yifan nodded.

“That’s what it looks like” he replied. Sehun was quiet before he sighed.

“Shredded tires. That could be used as an accelerant, right?” he asked, looking over at Yifan, who nodded.

“Mmhm. If you're looking to kill somebody, toxic smoke will do the job fast” he stated.

~*~*~*~*~

After leaving the house, the neighbor from before was standing outside.

“Wasn't no accident, was it?” he asked. Sehun and Yifan looked over at him before Yifan shook his head.

“No, somebody torched the place” he replied. The neighbor crossed his arms.

“Was it that doctor dude?” he asked. Yifan and Sehun looked at one another before they looked at him.

“Excuse me?” Yifan replied.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Yifan, Sehun, and the neighbor stood before Lucas in the SPD precinct.

“Go ahead and tell him what you told us” Yifan instructed. The neighbor nodded before he turned and looked at Lucas.

“Seen this dude walk around back to the parking lot. Didn't really get a look at him or nothing, but he was wearing them...you know, what doctors wear” he stated. Lucas frowned.

“Scrubs?” he suggested. The neighbor nodded.

“Yeah” he replied. Lucas was quiet before he nodded.

“Alright, I’ll tell Johnny. Thanks” he thanked. Yifan and Sehun nodded before motioning for the neighbor to follow them out of the precinct. Once they left, Lucas stood up and headed to Johnny’s office to tell him what they had learned.

~*~*~*~*~

After Lucas spoke to his boss, Lieutenant Johnny Seo, Johnny got on a video call. 

“Please pick up…” he murmured when soon Taeyong and Jaehyun’s face appeared on his computer screen.

_“Hello?”_ Taeyong answered. Johnny smiled.

“Hi, Lieutenant Johnny Seo of the Skyistan Police Department” he greeted. Taeyong smiled.

 _“Captain Lee Taeyong of the Asmaye Police Department’s Special Victim’s Unit. And my husband, Lieutenant Jung Jaehyun”_ he replied. Johnny nodded.

“Nice to meet you” he replied as Jaehyun crossed his arms on Johnny’s screen.

_“Heard you caught a rape case where the victim got burned up”_ he stated. Johnny nodded.

“Yeah, that's right, nurse from Skyistan Med. Raped, beaten. And the perp torched the joint on his way out. Where'd you hear?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. Taeyong smiled.

 _“An alert from the National Sex Offender Registry. NCIC created a geofence for rapes with an arson component on the East Coast and the Midwest. What do you know about this guy?”_ he asked. Johnny shook his head.

“Very little. Witness who can ID him said he saw somebody behind the victim's house two hours before the bonfire” he replied. Taeyong and Jaehyun both frowned before Taeyong sighed heavily.

_“Let me ask you this. Was he dressed as a doctor?”_ he asked. Johnny frowned before he nodded.

“Yeah, that's right, and he had his arm in a sling” he replied. Taeyong hissed while Jaehyun gritted his teeth.

 _“Son of a bitch”_ Jaehyun swore. Johnny raised an eyebrow.

“What is it?” he asked. Taeyong shook his head.

 _“There's just too many similarities to a case that we worked ten years back. The victim, she still alive?”_ he asked. Johnny sighed.

“Barely” he replied. Taeyong was quiet before he looked at Johnny.

 _“We’re on the next plane to Skyistan”_ he declared. Johnny nodded.

“I’ll be expecting you” he replied before he ended the call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	30. Case 4: We Call Her Jellybean - TO BE CONTINUED

After Sehun and Yifan returned from talking to Lucas, Sehun was heading back to his bunk when his phone buzzed, so he pulled it out to see that he had a voicemail.

“The hell? I didn’t even hear it ring” he grumbled before he pressed the voicemail and held it up to his ear.

 _“Mr. Oh, hey, it's Billy Carson”_ Billy started, making Sehun’s eyes widen. He then quickly paused the voicemail before he rushed to Yifan’s office.

“Kris” he panted. Yifan looked up at him and frowned.

“Sehun. What is it?” he asked. Sehun walked over to him and put the voicemail on speaker before playing it.

 _“I just want you to know everything's fine. It doesn't matter what anybody says about me. I know the truth, even if it doesn't come out. Thanks anyway”_ Billy thanked before he hung up. Yifan frowned.

“He didn't know he's no longer a suspect?” he asked. Sehun shook his head.

“I keep calling, but he's not answering. The voicemail's not even set up. I got a bad feeling, Kris” he stated. Yifan was quiet before he nodded.

“Alright, why don't you call Lucas, see if you can ping Carson's phone” he instructed. Sehun nodded.

“Will do” he replied before he turned and walked out.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, two fire trucks rushed to the scene where Billy was standing on the other side of the guardrail of a bridge that was above a highway.

“Just stay back! Stay back, or I'm gonna jump!” Billy screamed as the fire department slowly made their way towards him.

“By the time we close the road, get the jump bags out, it's gonna be too late if he's serious” Yifan grumbled.

“Looks pretty serious to me, Kris” Zitao murmured.

“If we don't grab him fast, this is gonna be over before it starts” Lu Han added. Yifan nodded.

“Lu Han, go in from the west side” he ordered.

“I'll go in from the east” Zitao declared. Yifan nodded again.

“Get to it” he ordered. Lu Han and Zitao began moving, the others following after them as Sehun slowly walked forward. 

“Billy, it's me, Sehun” he greeted.

“Tell them to stay back!” Billy screamed. Sehun held up calming hands.

“Billy, take it easy, okay?” he soothed. Billy took his hands off the rails, making Sehun’s eyes widen.

“Get away from me!” he shouted.

“Billy no!” Sehun screamed.

“I'll jump. I swear to God, I will!” Billy exclaimed as he turned to face the highway. Sehun gritted his teeth before he rushed over to Yifan.

“Kris, he trusts me. If I can get over there, I think I can talk him down” he murmured. Yifan nodded.

“Okay, clip in” he ordered. Sehun nodded, rushing over to Zitao, who quickly clipped him into a safety line.

“Be careful” he instructed. Sehun nodded.

“I will” he replied before he turned and walked towards Billy.

“Hey, Billy?” he called out.

“Yeah?” Billy called back.

“I'm coming over, okay? Just me” Sehun assured.

“Uh...don't... uh...okay” Billy replied, still looking down at the highway below. Sehun then hopped the guardrail and slowly made his way towards Billy when he was suddenly stopped. He turned and looked down to see that his rope was taut.

“Chen, I need more line” he called out. Jongdae shook his head.

“The rope's caught on something at your end of the rail” he replied. Sehun gritted his teeth before he unhooked the line from around his waist, making Lu Han’s eyes widen.

“Sehun!” he called out, stepping forward when Yifan held out a hand.

“Lu Han” he barked. Lu Han halted and gritted his teeth, all of the firefighters watching as Sehun slowly inched towards Billy.

“Don't…don't come any closer” Billy ordered. Sehun shook his head.

“You had nothing to do with that fire, Billy” he soothed.

“I know I turned it off, but am I positive? No, I ca... can't say that” Billy stammered, almost a little hysterical. Sehun shook his head.

“It wasn't an electrical fire. That's why I was trying to call you” he exclaimed. Billy frowned and looked over at him as he held out his hand.

“It's gonna be okay. I promise” he soothed. Billy was quiet before he reached out and grabbed Sehun’s hand, allowing Sehun to quickly place the rope around Billy’s hand, which gave him more stability to hold onto him. Once the rope was on his arm, Billy shook his head.

“I can't, I can't…” he panted.

“Billy” Sehun started when Billy shook his head again.

“I can’t!” he screamed.

“Billy, Billy!” Sehun shouted, holding tightly onto the railing while also holding tightly to Billy.

“Billy, Billy, if you don't grab the railing, you're gonna take me down with you. Grab the railing so we can step back over” he instructed. 

“It's my fault. I must have forgot to turn it off” Billy exclaimed. Sehun shook his head.

“No, Billy…” he grunted, still holding on for dear life.

“She's gonna die! I know she is!” Billy shouted. 

“Billy, look at me!” Sehun snapped, making Billy look over at him with wide eyes.

“I pulled you out of the fire. The least you can do is listen to what I have to say” he growled. Billy nodded.

“Okay, okay” he agreed, finally calming down.

“Listen, Victoria was raped, so whoever set that fire was trying to kill her” Sehun explained. Billy shook his head.

“That wasn't me, I swear, I swear…” he promised. Sehun nodded.

“I know, I know. So do the police” he soothed. Billy looked at him in shock.

“They do?” he asked. Sehun nodded again.

“Yeah. So please, for the love of God, grab the fucking railing” he begged. Billy nodded and quickly grabbed the railing, spurring Lu Han and Zitao into action, pulling both Billy and Sehun against the railing, holding them there tightly.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Junmyeon and Yixing arrived and placed Billy onto a gurney, the other firefighters surrounding them. Once he was on strapped in, all of them wheeled him over to the ambulance while Lu Han ran over to Sehun, quickly grabbing his face in his hands.

“Hunnie. Are you okay?” he asked, looking him in the eyes. Sehun nodded.

“I’m fine” he assured. Lu Han let out a sigh of relief as he let go of Sehun’s face before throwing his arms around him.

“You had me worried” he whispered. Sehun quickly wrapped his arms around Lu Han and hugged him tightly.

“I’m sorry” he apologized, just as a throat cleared behind them. They pulled away to see Yifan and Zitao smiling at them, mainly at Sehun.

“Hell of a save, Sehun” Yifan praised. Sehun nodded.

“Thanks” he thanked. Yifan nodded before he and Zitao got back in the van, heading back to the station. Once they were gone, Sehun and Lu Han hugged each other tightly once again, Lu Han giving Sehun a bit of a tighter squeeze

~*~*~*~*~

Later on that evening, Jaehyun and Taeyong arrived at the station, greeted by the fire station’s secretary.

“Ah, Captain Lee, Lieutenant Jung. Right in there” she instructed, motioning to Yifan’s office. Jaehyun and Taeyong nodded.

“Thank you” Taeyong thanked. The secretary nodded before she held out her hands.

“The least I can do is take your bags” she stated. Taeyong and Jaehyun looked at her before they smiled and graciously handed off their bags to her before both men stepped into Yifan’s office, Johnny waiting for them inside.

“Captain Lee, Lieutenant Jung” Johnny greeted, pushing off of the edge of Yifan’s desk to shake both men’s hands. Taeyong and Jaehyun shook his hand.

“Lieutenant Seo” they greeted. Johnny smiled.

“Johnny, please. Lieutenant Seo sounds too formal” he explained. Taeyong smiled.

“Then please, call me Taeyong” he stated.

“Jaehyun” Jaehyun added. Johnny nodded before he motioned to Yifan.

“Chief Wu Yifan” he introduced. Taeyong and Jaehyun both turned and shook his hand, nodding to him.

“Thank you for taking the time” Taeyong thanked. Yifan nodded.

“Of course. So it's official; OFI ruled it an arson” he stated. Jaehyun frowned.

“Okay, the victim?” he asked. Johnny was quiet as he pulled out photos of Victoria from the hospital, showing her practically wrapped like a mummy; save for her face.

“She's still hanging on at Skyistan Med. They're gonna let us know if she can talk” he replied. Taeyong frowned.

“Do we know how she was subdued?” he asked. 

“Had a skull fracture to the back of the head” Johnny answered. Taeyong was quiet before he let out a huff.

“All right, this is gonna sound odd, but was she wearing green nail polish on her fingers?” he asked. Yifan shook his head.

“None that would be visible. We know from the finger-line on her forehead she was covering her face during the blaze, so her hands bore the brunt of it” he explained. Taeyong sighed heavily.

“Okay” he murmured.

“It's gonna take additional testing” Johnny stated. Jaehyun nodded before he looked over at Johnny.

“Okay, so confirmed: the victim is a nurse, 5'5", brown hair, brown eyes, and she was raped” he stated. Johnny nodded.

“That’s right” he replied. Taeyong was quiet before he picked up the photo of Victoria’s face, staring at it as he thought back to a case he had when he was a detective.

~*~*~*~*~

_“Clear indication of blunt force trauma to the head. Might have knocked her out before she was burned” the M.E. stated as she and Taeyong knelt before the body of a dead young woman with third-degree burns on her face and body. Taeyong looked at her in horror before he looked down and noticed that the woman was wearing green fingernail polish. He shut his eyes and sighed heavily, trying desperately not to cry. Jaehyun, who was his partner back then as well, walked over to him and gently placed a hand on the back of his neck, rubbing it gently._

~*~*~*~*~

Back in the station, Taeyong continued to stare at the photo and Jaehyun could see the look on his face, so he just reached out and took his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze as Yifan sighed.

“So the animal who did this...you think he did it before?” he asked. Taeyong was quiet before he put down the photo and looked at Yifan.

“Unfortunately...I know he has” he croaked. Yifan and Johnny looked at him in shock as Jaehyun just gave his hand another squeeze.

_**TO BE CONTINUED** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This case is a bit shorter than the others but that's okay! Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	31. Case 5: The Number of Rats - Part 1

After Taeyong and Jaehyun met with Wu Yifan, Chief of Fire Station “51”, and Johnny Seo, Lieutenant of the Skyistan Police Department, they headed to Skyistan Med, asking one of the nurses where her room was. When they arrived, they were told that they had to wait outside, so that what they did; both men leaning against the wall, Taeyong resting his head on Jaehyun’s shoulder. As they waited, they didn’t realize that Johnny was walking over to them, holding two cups of coffee in his hand. 

“Hey” he greeted softly, making Taeyong and Jaehyun look at him as he held out the cups to them.

“Thank you” Taeyong thanked as he and Jaehyun took their cups, both men giving them a sip, just as a doctor walked over.

“So?” Johnny asked, raising an eyebrow. The doctor sighed.

“Third-degree burns over 75% of her body. The damage goes through to the muscle, nerves are completely gone. The only good news right now is that she probably can't feel anything” he murmured. Taeyong sighed.

“Okay, any chance she'll pull through?” he asked.

“Even if we could hold off the infection, and we'll do our best—” the doctor started.

“Can she talk?” Jaehyun asked. The doctor huffed.

“She's coherent at the moment” he replied. Johnny crossed his arms.

“So she can talk” he deadpanned as Taeyong sighed.

“Look, we're here to find out who did this, so I think if she was able, she'd want to talk to us” he stated. The doctor looked at him before he nodded.

“Stay here” he ordered before he turned and walked off, just as Johnny Seo’s partner, Sergeant Chittaphon “Ten” Leechaiyapornkul, walked over to them.

“Victim's sister's on her way in” he stated. Johnny nodded.

“Have Xiaojun and Hendery talk to her, okay?” he instructed. Ten nodded before he turned and walked off, only to be stopped by another doctor, his sister, Amber Liu.

“Hey, how’s Victoria? Any word?” she asked. Ten shook his head.

“I saw the crime scene; it can’t be good” he whispered. Amber crossed her arms.

“What happened?” she asked. Ten sighed.

“Fire department found her in a burning building; she’s got burns all over her body. Her skull was fractured and she had been sexually assaulted” he croaked. Amber shook her head.

“This is just awful. She’s the nicest person” she murmured. Ten looked at her with wide eyes.

“You know her?” he asked. Amber glanced at him before shaking her head.

“Just in passing. She’s a nurse in maternity” she replied. She then shook her head again before looking into Ten’s eyes.

“Any idea who did it?” she asked. Ten huffed.

“Would I be standing here if I did?” he replied, just as the doctor walked back over to Johnny, Jaehyun, and Taeyong.

“Keep it short” he ordered. Taeyong, Johnny, and Jaehyun nodded.

“Okay, thanks” Johnny thanked before the three of them headed into Victoria’s room. Taeyong immediately made a beeline for Victoria’s bed, Jaehyun following behind while Johnny went to go stand on the other side of the bed.

“Victoria?” Taeyong called out gently, making Victoria look over at him. Taeyong smiled kindly.

“Victoria, I’m Captain Lee and this my husband, Lieutenant Jung. I'm so sorry” he apologized. 

“Do you remember anything about the man who did this to you?” Jaehyun asked gently.

“I was in back of my building, taking out the trash” Victoria rasped. Taeyong nodded.

“Okay” he replied.

“Corner of my eye, man in hospital scrubs walking up behind me. I turned. I woke up, I was in my apartment, and the wall was on fire” Victoria croaked before she began to cry.

“It's okay. Did you see his face?” Johnny asked gently. Victoria shook her head.

“No” she sobbed. Johnny, Jaehyun, and Taeyong all nodded in understanding, trying to be as calm as possible.

“He was white. A little under 6 feet” Victoria continued.

“Okay” Taeyong murmured, just as a monitor sounded and Victoria gasped.

“All right, that's it. That's it. Out of the way! Call the code!” the doctor shouted, shoving Taeyong and Jaehyun out of the way so that he could go to work.

“Code 2 call” a nurse called over the intercom before two nurses rushed into the room. Johnny, Jaehyun, and Taeyong stared at her before Johnny motioned for Jaehyun and Taeyong to follow him out of the room.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, Detectives Xiao “Xiaojun” Dejun and Huang “Hendery” Guanheng walked into the waiting room with Victoria’s sister, who was crying.

“I'm so sorry” the woman apologized as she blew her nose.

“Here. Sit here” Xiaojun murmured, motioning for Victoria’s sister to sit down before he and Hendery sat down on either side of her.

“We are too. I mean, it's—it's hard to believe something like this happening, you know?” he continued.

“Victoria was supposed to come over tonight” her sister explained. Xiaojun nodded slowly.

“Was she seeing anyone?” he asked. Victoria’s sister shook her head.

“No” she replied. 

“Was there anybody in Victoria's life that you think was aggressive at work or…” Hendery started, making Victoria’s sister look over at him.

“No. I mean, that would do this?” she snapped before she shook her head.

“I'm sorry, I just can't imagine what she went through. All that pain. I just can't—” she started before she shook her head again and began to sob.

“Hey, it’s okay” Xiaojun soothed, reaching out to rub the woman’s back, causing her to burst into more tears. Hendery then reached out and rubbed her back, both men comforting her as best they could.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the precinct, Taeyong and Jaehyun were briefing Johnny’s detectives on the previous cases.

“So the first victim, Alice Whitlock, raped and murdered. Cause of death was blunt force trauma to the back of the skull” Taeyong stated, pointing to the first victim as Jaehyun pointed to Victoria.

“Blunt force trauma” he stated.

“She was a nurse at Columbia Presbyterian” Taeyong continued before pointing to the second victim’s photo.

“Second vic, Lisa Hoffman. She was raped and killed in the same fashion as Whitlock, but she was found completely burned in her own car along the Harlem river. Green nail polish was applied to both of these victims at some point during the crime” he stated, pointing to crime scene photos of both women’s hands which had green nail polish on them.

“Debra Mcculloch was last seen exiting a bar on 53rd and 3rd. She was a nurse at Mount Sinai. So all three victims in Asmaye, 2004. Witnesses were consistent. They all saw a man in medical clothing and his arm in a sling approaching these women” Jaehyun declared. Lucas frowned.

“The victim from here, she have green nail polish on?” he asked. Jaehyun shook his head.

“Don’t know yet” he replied before motioning to Johnny.

“Lab tech's gonna check when the doctor gives the okay, but there's no guarantees we'll find out either way. Her hands were severely burned. She was trying to cover her face” he explained as he walked to the front to stand by Jaehyun and Taeyong.

“Also, there was no DNA at either of the Asmaye crime scenes” Taeyong added. Kim Jungwoo, another one of Johnny’s detectives, crossed his arms.

“Any theories why he stopped for ten years?” he asked. Jaehyun shook his head.

“Sadly, we don't know that he has” he replied as Taeyong cleared his throat.

“So our suspect is a male, white, 5'9", approximately 40 years old. He's either in the medical field or, obviously, posing as somebody who is. There's nothing physically distinctive about him. All the witnesses, again, were consistent. When they described him, they said that he was average-looking and normal” he explained. Lucas sighed before he stood up from where he was sitting on his desk, turning to face the others.

“These details of the crimes have gone out to every news and radio station in town” he stated. Johnny nodded.

“We check city wide and in the suburbs on missile x cards and information reports on any attempted abductions or suspicious calls” he ordered. Just then, Ten got a call, causing him to turn away.

“I'm gonna have Mouse triangulate the cell towers on the girl's phone and check all social media. We can find out if she electronically checked in anywhere during the day” Jungwoo stated. Lucas nodded.

“I'll check the sex offender files and recently released parolees” he declared. 

“Good” Johnny agreed, just as Ten got off the phone.

“That was Xiaojun at Skyistan Med” he called out, making everyone look over at him.

“Victoria didn't make it” he declared. Everyone was silent out of respect before Johnny clapped his hands.

“Let’s get to work” he ordered. Everyone nodded and went to do their jobs as Taeyong let out a heavy sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose, shutting his eyes. Jaehyun was quiet as he reached out and gently rubbed his husband’s back, just as Jungwoo walked over to them, standing before them.

“Captain Lee?” he called out softly. Taeyong lifted his head and blinked at him.

“Yes? Jungwoo, was it?” he replied. Jungwoo nodded before he smiled.

“We’ll get him, Captain Lee” he assured. Taeyong smiled weakly before he nodded in agreement.

“Yeah. Yeah we will” he replied. Jungwoo nodded before he turned to get back to work, leaving Jaehyun and Taeyong alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	32. Case 5: The Number of Rats - Part 2

The next day, when Hendery walked into the office, Ten walked down to meet him, holding out a pen and pad.

“Here” he stated. Hendery frowned and took the pad, raising an eyebrow.

“What’s this?” he asked. Ten motioned to the line of people sitting in the lobby of the precinct.

“Start taking statements. All these people think they've seen this guy. Work left to right” he ordered. Hendery nodded.

“Okay” he replied before he turned and headed over to talk to the people in the lobby. Ten huffed and shook his head before he headed back upstairs to answer more phone calls that kept coming in about this doctor dude. Meanwhile, in Johnny’s office, Taeyong and Jaehyun were on a video call with Yuta and Sicheng.

“Okay, guys, cross-match any details from the Skyistan case with ours, and I’m gonna need all of our files electronically scanned and sent, like, yesterday” Taeyong ordered. 

_“_ _You got it, boss”_ Yuta replied as Johnny pointed to the computer.

“Why don't you bring them out yourself? We could use all the help we can get” he stated. 

_“_ _We’re happy to do it…”_ Sicheng started. Taeyong and Jaehyun looked at one another before Jaehyun shrugged.

“Okay, guys, then get on the next flight. Bring the files. Have Hyuck reopen the investigation over there and if he’s not busy, bring Mark in” he ordered.

_“_ _Got it”_ Yuta replied. Taeyong nodded.

“Great. Thanks, guys. See you soon” he bid before he hung up the call.

~*~*~*~*~

At the apartment of Victoria Lewyn, Lucas and Xiaojun was talking to some people that lived in Victoria’s building.

“So he was dressed as a doctor, arm in a sling, hanging out around the building just down the block. This is five days ago. Anything? No?” Xiaojun asked.

“No” the residents replied. 

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, Zitao led Ten and Jungwoo into the burnt building, explaining how the fire happened.

“Offender balled up newspaper and shredded rubber, piled it near the victim. Then he left a trail of the same combo to the back door. Used lighter fluid as an accelerant, lit it, and then left out the back door. Some burning rubber dropped down a coax cable hole in the floor, right here, which is why we initially thought it started downstairs” he explained. Ten hummed.

“Okay, so the offender drags the victim up the back staircase into the bedroom” he murmured before he looked around at the burnt bedroom.

“There’s no way in hell we're pulling any DNA out of here” he grumbled. Jungwoo shook his head.

“I heard whoever did this has done it before?” Zitao asked. Ten sighed.

“Yeah, it's looking like it” he replied. Zitao shook his head.

“Bastard” he murmured. As they continued to look around the burnt home, Jungwoo noticed something underneath the rubble. He frowned and knelt down, pushing away the rubble to reveal a bottle of nail polish.

“Hey hyung, check it out. It's nail polish” he called out. Ten looked over at him and frowned.

“What color did the offender use on the victims?” he asked.

“Green” Jungwoo replied as he reached out and grabbed the bottle, opening it to reveal green polish.

“Well, now there's no doubt” he declared. Ten gritted his teeth.

“Son of a bitch” he hissed.

~*~*~*~*~

Outside, Xiaojun and Lucas were still passing out cards.

“All right, listen, ask around. If anybody's seen anything like that, please, give 21st district a call. We appreciate it. Thank you” he thanked before he and Lucas turned and walked off.

“All right, listen, I’ll start knocking on doors. Somebody's got to have a security system around here or saw something” Xiaojun grumbled.

“The G also hides cameras all over the place, so have Mouse request all the IP addresses in a four-block vicinity” Lucas ordered. 

“Got it” Xiaojun replied.

~*~*~*~*~

Upstairs, a friend of Jungwoo’s, Kim Minhee, was sitting at a desk, taking phone calls.

“Skyistan Police Intelligence” she answered. She listened for a moment before he ended the call. Just then, the phone rang again, causing her to answer it.

“Skyistan police intelligence, can you hold?” she asked as Ten was talking to Johnny, Taeyong, and Jaehyun.

“There's 150 places that sell medical supplies in Skyistan, so we're reaching out to see if any of them have sold an arm sling to someone fitting our description in the last three months and if there's video surveillance. Patrol's helping out” he stated. Johnny huffed.

“Yeah, well, we also need a list of every doctor, surgeon, nurse, x-ray tech, dentist, orderly, janitor, anybody in the medical field who wears scrubs” he ordered. Ten nodded and began writing down a list of people to look for at Jaehyun pointed at him.

“Ah, don't forget mental institutions” he stated. Johnny glanced at him before nodding.

“Yeah, and check practicing and non-practicing” he added, just as Taeyong’s phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and looked at it before answering.

“Lee” he answered.

_“_ _Hey, hyung, you alone?”_ Donghyuck asked. Taeyong frowned.

“Close enough. What's up?” he replied.

_“_ _Well, I’m going over the witness statements from the Debra Mcculloch disappearance in '04. Jaehyun hyung interviewed a med student who knew Debra; Amber Liu. Mark and I did some digging and it turns out she's a doctor at Skyistan Med right now”_ Donghyuck explained. Taeyong nodded slowly.

“Okay…” he murmured.

_“_ _And her brother, Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul, is a sergeant in Johnny’s unit”_ Donghyuck declared. Taeyong’s eyes widened and he glanced over at Ten before he pushed off the desk and walked away from Johnny, Ten, and Jaehyun.

“I see. Go on” he instructed.

_“I’m_ _guessing you can’t talk right now…good luck, hyung”_ Donghyuck bid before he hung up. Taeyong looked down at his phone and huffed, not realizing that Jaehyun, Ten, and Johnny were looking at him.

“All good?” Ten called out, making him spin around before he nodded.

“Yeah; everything’s fine” he replied. Ten nodded before he went back to looking at his computer while Taeyong pointed to Johnny.

“Can I talk to you for a moment? Privately?” he asked. Johnny raised an eyebrow before he shrugged.

“Sure” he replied before he turned and headed into his office, Taeyong following him. Jaehyun decided to hang back, since he felt that this was a conversation that Taeyong needed to have alone.

~*~*~*~*~

“So, what’s up?” Johnny asked as he and Taeyong stepped inside his office, Taeyong shutting the door behind him.

“Your husband’s sister, Amber, you know her?” Taeyong asked. Johnny shrugged.

“A little” he replied. Taeyong hummed.

“So…Jaehyun questioned her ten years ago. She knew one of the victims in the Asmaye. I'd like to bring her in, you know, ask her a few questions, just check her temperature” he explained. Johnny hummed as he walked over to his desk and leaned against it, crossing his arms.

“Without Ten knowing why you're bringing Amber in?” he guessed. Taeyong nodded.

“That’s correct” he replied.

“You want to ambush Amber” Johnny deadpanned. Taeyong opened his mouth.

“Well, I wouldn't—” he started when Johnny waved a hand and smiled.

“That's okay. I mean, you can call it what it is” he replied. Taeyong sighed before he nodded.

“Yes, I want to ambush Amber” he admitted. Johnny hummed again as Taeyong sighed again.

“Look, she knew the woman who went missing in Asmaye, and now, suddenly, the killer activates after she gets a job at Skyistan Med?” he started, glancing at Johnny before he huffed.

“I've been carrying around this case for ten years. I just need to see the look on her face” he murmured. Johnny nodded in understanding as Taeyong sighed, probably for the hundredth time.

“Look, I know this is your house and I don't want to disrespect you. That’s why I wanted to run it past you” he explained. Johnny nodded.

“I got it. And I appreciate that. Just let me think about it, okay?” he asked. Taeyong nodded.

“Sure” he replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	33. Case 5: The Number of Rats - Part 3

The next morning, Yuta and Sicheng walked into the unit’s office, placing their briefcases on the table, just as Jaehyun, Taeyong, and the others arrived. Sicheng then began to pass out copies of the files to the others.

“So this is everything pertinent from our files on the Asmaye victims” he stated, just as Johnny walked over to them.

“Lieutenant” Yuta greeted; Johnny shaking his hand before shaking Sicheng’s after he passed out the files.

“Thanks for coming, both of you” he thanked. Sicheng nodded.

“Of course” he replied, just as Hendery and Xiaojun walked into the unit.

“Hey, I guess that tip line must have paid off. Apparently some woman just called over in Bucktown. She said that some guy two weeks ago was asking for help unloading boxes from his car” Hendery stated. Lucas frowned.

“Was she attacked?” he asked. Xiaojun shook his head.

“No, she got a weird feeling and took off. Get this, though, the guy was wearing scrubs” he declared. Taeyong nodded slowly as Sicheng walked over to Xiaojun and Hendery, handing them both files as Lucas held up his file.

“I'll go interview this woman” he declared.

“I’ll come with” Sicheng offered, glancing over at Yuta, who waved his hand and smiled. Sicheng smiled and nodded, following after Lucas as Taeyong walked over to Ten.

“Ten, you know, I'm still trying to get some more information about this nurse from Skyistan Med who was killed. Her sister, unfortunately, wasn't much help. Now, your sister’s a doctor there, am I right?” he asked. Ten nodded.

“Mhm” he replied. 

“Did she know her?” Taeyong inquired. Ten shrugged.

“She said she bumped into her a few times” he replied. Taeyong nodded slowly.

“Okay, do you think she'd be willing to come in and maybe point us in the direction of somebody that knew her better?” he asked. Ten shrugged again.

“Uh, I doubt she knows much, but I can give her a call” he offered. Taeyong smiled.

“That'd be really helpful. Thanks” he thanked. Ten nodded.

“Yeah, sure” he replied as he sat down and picked up his phone, going to give Amber a call. Taeyong then glanced at Johnny and nodded before he walked into Johnny’s office, Jaehyun and Johnny following him.

~*~*~*~*~

At the apartment of Charlotte Reegen, Lucas and Sicheng were interviewing Charlotte.

“I was over by the park, and there was this guy standing by his car; said he needed help moving a box to the passenger seat. He had a sling on his arm and doctor pants on under a jacket. So I walked over to help, but when I got to the car, I saw this, like, a carjack thingy in the backseat, and he was just a little too, um, I don't know, uh, too friendly. Too chatty” she explained. Sicheng nodded slowly.

“Did you get a good look at him?” he asked. Charlotte shook her head.

“Not really; it was night. He was a white guy. He was wearing a cap” she offered. Sicheng crossed his arms.

“Was there an emblem on the cap?” he inquired. 

“No, just a black ball cap” Charlotte replied. Lucas hummed.

“What kind of car was he driving?” he asked. 

“Subaru; wagon. I remember because my aunt has one. Dark green. I didn't get the license plate though. I just…turned and gripped my keys in my hand, and...started walking” Charlotte replied. 

“If you saw this guy again, would you be able to identify him?” Lucas inquired. Charlotte nodded.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the precinct, Amber walked up to Johnny’s unit, where Ten, Jaehyun, Taeyong, and Johnny were waiting for her.

“Taeyong, this is my sister Amber” Ten introduced as Amber walked over to them.

Taeyong smiled and shook her hand.

“Nice to meet you, Captain” Amber greeted. Taeyong nodded.

“Nice to meet you too. And please, call me Taeyong” he replied before he motioned to Jaehyun.

“This is my husband, Jung Jaehyun” he introduced. Jaehyun smiled and shook Amber’s hand; Amber dipping her head to him. She then smiled as she shook Johnny’s hand.

“Hey John” she greeted. Johnny smiled.

“Hi Amb” he replied. Ten then motioned to Amber.

“She’s got an hour till her shift. I told her we'd get her in and out” he explained. Taeyong nodded.

“Of course. We just have a couple of questions” he replied as Johnny motioned to his breakroom.

“Why don't we go in here?” he offered. Amber nodded and headed inside, Taeyong, Jaehyun, and Johnny following after her. Ten glanced at the room, then at the whiteboard before looking back towards the room.

“Hey, you mind if I join?” he asked. Taeyong glanced at Johnny before Johnny motioned to the room.

“Yeah, sure. Why not?” he replied. Ten nodded and headed into the breakroom; he, Johnny, Jaehyun, and Taeyong standing across from Amber. 

“I didn't know her well. Like I told Ten, she was just a really friendly person. Seemed to be well liked by everyone on the staff, although I would have to assume there are other people at Skyistan Med who could give you more insight” Amber replied. Taeyong sighed.

“Well, we were hoping that you could do that for us, you know. We're just trying to piece together who she was as a person” he explained. Amber nodded.

“Of course. Whatever I can do” she replied. 

“Did you know her outside of work?” Jaehyun inquired. Amber looked over at him and shook her head.

“No. I just started a couple weeks ago, so I'm still in the "getting to know you" stage, meeting everyone” she explained. Taeyong chuffed.

“Been there; that can take a while. So while you're here, do you know this woman?” he asked, walking over to her, placing down a photograph. Amber looked at it, eyes widening slightly.

“Wow. Yeah, Debra. It's been a while. She went missing a long time ago back in Asmaye” she explained. Taeyong nodded.

“Yeah” he replied before he paused and looked at Amber.

“How do you know Debra, Amber?” he asked. Amber was silent as Ten looked at Taeyong.

“What's going on here?” he demanded. Taeyong looked at him before he sighed.

“Well, we just found out that will was in Asmaye at the time of the other two incidents” he explained. Ten scoffed.

“You just found out, my ass. Johnny, she's ambushing my sister” he exclaimed. Johnny just calmly looked back at him, making Ten’s eyes widened.

“You signed off on it” he whispered, almost betrayed. Amber glanced between the four men before she looked at Taeyong.

“I'm a little confused here—” she started when Ten threw out a hand.

“Don't say another word” he ordered as Amber frowned.

“What—what are you talking about?” she asked as Ten walked over to her and grabbed her by the arm, yanking her to her feet.

“We're done. Let's go” he ordered. Amber shook him off before she looked over at Taeyong.

“Are you asking if I did these crimes?” she inquired. Taeyong nodded solemnly.

“I am” he replied. Amber shook her head.

“I didn’t. I’m a woman, after all” she reminded, making Ten hiss at her.

“Don't say another word until you get a lawyer” he hissed. Amber shook her head.

“I don't need a lawyer. I didn't do anything” she argued. Ten scoffed.

“It doesn't matter. If they want to, they'll find a way to stitch you up” he grumbled, making Johnny give him a look.

“Careful Ten” he warned. Ten huffed before he grabbed Amber’s arm.

“Come on” he urged when Amber ripped her arm away.

“No!” she exclaimed before she let out a huff.

“No, I saw what happened to that girl, and if it were my girlfriend or my daughter or my mom, I'd want you to do exactly what you're doing right now. Ask me anything you want anytime” she declared, looking at Taeyong. Taeyong nodded.

“Appreciate that. If you could write down where you were the night of Victoria's murder, I would like a full statement” he stated, placing a pen and pad down in front of her. Ten shook his head.

“No, no, no, she's not writing anything down. Come on, get up” he ordered, grabbing Amber by the arm, yanking her to her feet.

“Ten!” Johnny and Amber exclaimed but Ten wasn’t having it and just dragged Amber out of the room. Johnny, Taeyong, and Jaehyun watched him leave before Taeyong pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	34. Case 5: The Number of Rats - Part 4

After Ten dropped Amber off at work, he headed back to the precinct and headed to Johnny’s office, knocking on the door.

“Come in” Johnny called out. Ten then entered the room, leaning against the doorframe as he looked at Taeyong, Johnny, and Jaehyun.

“Amber’s gonna write down a statement, I’m gonna read it, and then I’ll submit it to you. She was home that night watching TV” he snapped. Taeyong nodded slowly.

“Okay” he agreed.

“Can anyone put him there?” Jaehyun inquired. Ten shook his head.

“No; she ordered a pay-per-view movie. I'm checking now to see if I can get the records” he replied before he pointed a finger at Taeyong.

“You have any more questions for my sister, you can go through me” he hissed. He then turned to leave when Johnny sighed.

“Look, I understand how you're feeling, Ten, but you're not running point on questioning your sister, and I think you understand why” he explained calmly, looking at his husband. Ten narrowed his eyes at him before he huffed.

“I'll get you that report after I’ve read it” he stated, turning and heading back to his desk. Johnny, Taeyong, and Jaehyun all watched him before Jaehyun gently tapped Taeyong’s shoulder, making him look over at him.

“Tip lines in Asmaye are heating up as well. We should head back, see what new information has popped up, if any, re-interview some of the witnesses from the '04 cases” he stated. Taeyong nodded.

“Okay” he agreed.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Johnny, Taeyong, and Jaehyun were walking out of the precinct, Taeyong looking over at Johnny.

“Look, I hope I didn't put you in a bad spot…especially since he’s your husband and all” he murmured. Johnny chuckled and shook his head.

“No, not at all. I would have done the same thing with one of your guys. Except I probably wouldn't have asked” he replied. Jaehyun hummed.

“You'll let us know if she checks out?” he asked. Johnny nodded.

“Of course” he replied. Taeyong and Jaehyun nodded their thanks as they headed towards the door; Johnny sighing.

“You sure you boys have to go?” he asked. Taeyong smiled.

“You'll be in good hands with Winwin and Yuta” he assured. Johnny frowned.

“Winwin?” he repeated. Taeyong chuckled.

“Sicheng’s nickname. I’m the only one who calls him that. You can just call him Sicheng” he stated. Johnny nodded as Jaehyun looked at him.

“Take care of yourself, hyung” he bid. Johnny nodded.

“You got it, kid” he assured as Taeyong looked at him as well.

“I’ve heard about you, Johnny Seo, and your methods. Please play this one by the book this time” he begged. Johnny smirked before he sighed.

“Alright, kid, for you” he agreed. Taeyong smiled and nodded before he and Jaehyun turned and walked out of the precinct, Johnny watching them leave with a small, sad smile on his face.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, Jungwoo and Yuta followed Hwang “Mouse” Hyunjin into his little lab.

“So you ready? You ready? All right, the witness said that it was a dude in a dark-colored Subaru Wagon. Well, I was able to access a security camera on a private residence near the corner of the block where Victoria Lewyn lives— lived, rather. And check this out” he declared, playing the CCTV footage to show a dark green Subaru Wagon flash into the screen.

“Ah, there. Dark green Subaru Wagon. And that was an hour before SFD responded to the blaze in her apartment” he continued.

“Now you're talking” Yuta murmured. Hyunjin smirked.

“Right?” he replied. 

“You get the plates?” Yuta asked, crossing his arms. Hyunjin shook his head.

“No, I’m getting to that. We can only read the first three digits” he explained as he enlarged the video to show the first three digits of the plate.

“But there's only one Subaru Wagon in that color with those three first numbers. Now, the car is registered to Elizabeth Kendall. She's 78 years old” he continued, grabbing a sheet and handing it to Yuta, who took it and looked at it.

“Okay, let's have the address. We can get a patrol out there” he declared. 

~*~*~*~*~

After getting the address, Hendery and Xiaojun headed out, since they were the youngest members of the team. When they arrived, they saw the green SUV as well as the man in blue scrubs and a sling.

“There he is” Hendery whispered as Xiaojun grabbed his walkie and pressed the “dispatch” button.

“This is Detectives Xiao and Huang” he stated.

 _“Go ahead, Detective”_ dispatch replied.

“Can you roll an assist car, no emergency, to the intersection of Throop and Fillmore? Tell them to throw an anchor down. We've located the vehicle intelligence had the bolo on” Xiaojun instructed.

 _“Copy that”_ dispatch replied. Just then, the man in blue scrubs and sling walked over to the car, causing Xiaojun to nudge Hendery.

“Look at this” he whispered before he clicked on the “talk” button again.

“Be advised, squad, we have a male subject approaching the vehicle. Hold us down on a stop at this location. Will advise if we need backup” he stated.

 _“Roger that”_ dispatch agreed before Xiaojun clicked off and Hendery turned on the siren, driving over to park behind the green SUV. Both men then got out and walked over to the car, Xiaojun studying the car while Hendery walked over to the window and knocked on the glass. The man in the car then rolled down the window, Hendery smiling fakely at him.

“How's it going today, sir?” he asked. The man looked at him and nodded.

“Very well, thank you” he replied.

“Can I see your license and registration?” Hendery asked as Xiaojun continued to look at the back of the SUV.

“Is there a problem?” the man asked. Hendery fixed him with a look.

“No; you want there to be?” he replied. The man raised his hands in surrender as Xiaojun cleared his throat.

“Can you pop your trunk, sir?” he asked. The man did as he was told and popped the trunk, allowing Xiaojun to see inside, while he looked at Hendery.

“Uh, the car is not in my name yet. I'm—I'm buying it from a woman. We just haven't filed the official paperwork. There is a note attached from her stating that” he explained, handing him his license, registration, and a note. Hendery looked at the note before handing it over to Xiaojun, who took the note from him and looked at it.

“Asmaye” he declared. The man in the car nodded.

“Yeah, just moved here three months ago. Still waiting on the Skyistan license” he replied. Hendery nodded before he looked at the man.

“Can you take the key out of the ignition and hand it to me?” he asked. The man was quiet before he looked back at him.

“Officer, respectfully, I would like an explanation as for why you're doing this” he stated. Hendery glared at him.

“It’s Detective. And you're not entitled to one. Now hand me the keys” he ordered. The man sighed before he took the keys out of the ignition and handed them to Hendery, who took them and pointed at him.

“Sit tight” he ordered before he turned and walked back to the squad car. Xiaojun followed after him and when they got into the car, they both let out heavy sighs.

“Dude” Xiaojun whispered, shaking his head. Hendery shuddered before he nodded.

“We’re bringing him in” he declared. Xiaojun was quiet as he ran the man’s name before shaking his head.

“He’s clean. Nothing outstanding. No warrants, nothing” he stated. Hendery shook his head.

“We’re bringing him in” he argued. Xiaojun nodded.

“Okay” he agreed. Both men then got out of the squad car and walked over to the green SUV.

“Mr. Yates, it looks like your car was reported as being involved in a hit-and-run where a pedestrian was injured. Do you know anything about that?” Hendery asked, handing the man back his paperwork before he crossed his arms as he looked at the man in the SUV. The man in the SUV, Dr. Greg Yates, blinked at him in shock.

“No, I don't. I've owned the car for three weeks. Besides, if you check the front bumper, does it look like anything's been hit?” he asked. Xiaojun shrugged.

“It's probably a false report, but you're still gonna need to come in until we clear this up, sir. So if you could get out of the car—” he started, opening the driver’s side door. Yates sighed before he stepped out of the car, following Xiaojun and Hendery to the squad car.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	35. Case 5: The Number of Rats - Part 5

“Home address, employer information, and what else?” Yates asked as he sat before Sicheng and Jungwoo.

“Cell phone number” Jungwoo replied. Yates nodded.

“Oh, of course” he replied, writing down his phone number.

“So what brings you to Skyistan, Mr. Yates?” Sicheng asked as he looked through Yates’ file.

“Employment” Yates replied. Jungwoo frowned.

“Where?” he asked.

“Medhelp. It's an urgent care facility on the south side” Yates answered. Sicheng hummed.

“So you were a professor at Columbia in Asmaye, residency at Presbyterian” he mused as he looked through the file. Yates looked at him before he nodded.

“That’s correct” he agreed. Sicheng nodded slowly before he looked at him.

“When was this?” he asked. Yates pointed to the file.

“Well, I’m sure that file states it” he replied. Sicheng just gave him a look.

“I’m asking you” he deadpanned. Yates sighed.

“Ten years or so” he replied. Jungwoo hummed and tilted his head.

“Where have you been since then?” he inquired. Yates shrugged.

“Oh, all over. Traveling. Lots of time in Oshea. Now, oh, there is a lawless town. My job as a physician, you know, there's always a need. Always a spot to fill” he explained as he eyed Jungwoo up and down. Sicheng narrowed his eyes at him as Jungwoo smirked.

“How'd you go from being a doctor at one of the best hospitals in the country to working at an urgent care?” he asked. Yates smiled slightly and shook his head.

“Man does not control his own fate. The women in his life do that for him” he replied. Jungwoo and Sicheng just raised an eyebrow at him, making him huff.

“Groucho Marx? Oh. See, I bet you don't even know who that is” he stated. Jungwoo chuffed.

“You ever been to Skyistan Med?” he asked. Yates shrugged.

“Oh sure” he replied. Jungwoo raised an eyebrow.

“As a patient or…” he started. Yates chuckled.

“No, actually, I have lunch there sometimes” he replied.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, Johnny, Charlotte, Lucas and Yuta were standing outside the interrogation room, trying to see if Charlotte would recognize Yates.

“Recognize him?” Johnny asked. Charlotte sighed and shook her head.

“He wore a baseball cap, and it was night. I mean, it could be him. I'm sorry. I can't say for sure” she replied. 

~*~*~*~*~

Inside the interrogation room, Sicheng took a photo out of the file he was holding and placed it in front of Yates.

“Do you, uh, you know this woman?” he asked. Yates looked at the photo before he shook his head.

“No” he replied. Sicheng hummed before he placed another photo down before him.

“Her?” he asked. When he didn’t hear an answer, he continued to put photos down.

“Her? Her, hmm?” he asked. Yates shook his head.

“No” he replied. 

“No?” Sicheng replied. Yates shook his head again.

“No. No, are any of these the pedestrian that the car I’m purchasing supposedly struck? That is the reason that I was brought in, am I correct?” he asked, looking between Jungwoo and Sicheng. Jungwoo and Sicheng said nothing before Jungwoo looked at Yates’ arms.

“You shave your arms, doctor?” he asked. Yates looked down at his arms, Sicheng looking at them as well, before Yates turned and looked up at Jungwoo.

“My whole body, actually. It's for cycling. Helps reduce drag” he replied softly. Sicheng hummed.

“You know, I’m new to the city. What's the best spot around here for cycling?” he asked. Yates shook his head, eyes never leaving Jungwoo.

“I don't know. My bike's still in storage. Am I under arrest? I do have a general sense of my rights” he replied. 

“You’re free to go” Jungwoo stated. Yates then stood up, Sicheng standing up as well, ready to step in between Yates and Jungwoo if he needed to. Yates then stood up and grabbed his coat, headed towards the interrogation room door.

“Thanks for coming in” Jungwoo thanked, following him.

“Oh, I’m happy to help” Yates replied. Jungwoo then crossed his arms as he leaned against the interrogation room door frame.

“Hmm, do you have any travel plans, Mr. Yates?” he asked. Yates looked at him before he shook his head.

“None. Are you kidding? I just got to your beautiful city. I can't wait to explore it” he whispered before turning and walking out of the interrogation room. As he walked away from the interrogation room and into the squad room, he noticed Minhee, who was looking at him with big wide eyes.

“Hello” he greeted before he continued walking away. Minhee looked at him for a moment before she sat down at her desk, Johnny looking at her with concern before he looked at Jungwoo, who was sitting back down at his desk.

“Get a state's attorney on board ASAP. Give him the particulars, probable cause, and let him know we believe this guy is good for it” he ordered. Jungwoo nodded and started working while Minhee stood up from her desk and turned the whiteboard to face the squad as Johnny continued to bark orders.

“One of you figure out who's gonna be the affiant on his phone” he ordered.

“I’m on it, boss” Hendery stated.

“We are gonna run this clean. We're gonna run it thorough. We're gonna run it by the book. Everybody understand?” Johnny continued, just as Ten walked over to him.

“You got a sec?” he asked softly. Johnny glanced at him before he nodded. Ten nodded as well before he headed into Johnny’s office, Johnny following behind him.

“My sister ordered a pizza the night Victoria was assaulted. The delivery guy will vouch” Ten declared, putting down a receipt. Johnny sighed.

“Ten, she's been cleared as a suspect” he stated. Ten nodded and clapped his hands.

“Wonderful. Moving on, I told her about Greg Yates. Get this; they worked together for a minute in the same hospital. Yates was one of her professors in med school. She's got an opinion about him” he declared. Johnny nodded slowly.

“Alright, where's Amb now?” he asked.

“Downstairs” Ten replied.

“Get her” Johnny ordered. Ten nodded and turned, heading out to get his sister. A few moments later, Amber walked into Johnny’s office, Jungwoo and Ten following behind her.

“John” Amber greeted. Johnny nodded to her as she let out a sigh.

“He was one of those instructors that made the students call him by his first name. Liked to hang out at the bars we went to. Some bought into it, but I always got a creepy vibe. Someone invited him out to a party one night, and Yates corners me; starts talking about who has the best ass, who he'd like to have sex with first” she explained. Ten shuddered as Amber sighed again.

“Debra Mcculloch was at that party; the nurse who went missing” she continued. Johnny nodded slowly as Jungwoo looked at her.

“Was it the night she went missing?” he asked. Amber shook her head.

“No, I think it was, like, three nights before that, but they were both there. Could have easily met her that night” she replied, just as Minhee popped her head into the office.

“Woo, you’ve got a call” she stated. Jungwoo frowned and turned to look at her.

“Who’s it from?” he asked.

“It's Greg Yates” Minhee replied. Jungwoo’s eyes widened and he quickly walked over to his desk; Johnny and Minhee standing behind him as he sat down, Minhee clicking the “hold” button again so that Yates could speak.

“Detective Kim” Jungwoo answered.

 _“I can't help but think that we got off on the wrong foot”_ Yates stated, making Jungwoo frown.

“How do you mean?” he asked as the rest of the squad, including Amber, Yuta, and Sicheng, watched; Lucas bristling with anger.

 _“Oh, I just feel like I made a bad impression on your coworkers back there. I would—I would love to try and win you guys back. Are you free to meet for a short conversation?”_ Yates asked. 

“Sure, why don't you come by the district?” Jungwoo offered.

 _“No, just you and me. The Pavilion at Millennium Park; three hours. Thank you for your time in advance”_ Yates thanked before he hung up. Jungwoo shook his head before he put the phone back on the receiver and looked up at Johnny.

“I’m meeting him” he declared. 

~*~*~*~*~

After the phone call, Johnny ordered Hyunjin to get Jungwoo some in-ear transmitters so that he and the squad could hear their conversation as well as keep an eye on him.

“All right, so Johnny will be able to communicate with you through that” he stated, handing Jungwoo one in-ear transmitter.

“Now, I’d use your phone in your other ear, assuming you like to hear over 4,000 hertz” he continued with a smile. Jungwoo chuckled before he put the in-ear transmitter in, quickly putting on a cap that had earflaps so that Yates wouldn’t get suspicious. 

“Just stay where we can see you” Lucas murmured, giving him a look. Jungwoo sighed and nodded.

“Xu Xi, I’ll be fine” he assured. Lucas sighed.

“I know, I’m just worried about you” he replied, stepping forward to place a kiss to Jungwoo’s hair.

“We'll be nearby in case anything goes sideways” he added when he pulled away.

“Ten, you guys find a good lookout yet?” Johnny asked, looking over at his husband.

“We'll be near the pedestrian bridge a few hundred yards away” he replied. Johnny nodded before he pointed to Yuta and Sicheng.

“Yuta, Sicheng, you're on the ground with Lucas and Xiaojun” he declared before he faced his team.

“Stay sharp” he ordered. Everyone nodded and split up, just as Jungwoo’s phone rang. He frowned and pulled it out of his pocket, looking at the caller ID. His eyes widened in shock before he quickly answered it, putting it to his ear.

“Captain Lee” he greeted.

 _“Jungwoo. Yuta told me you're going to meet with Yates alone_ ” Taeyong stated, sounding concerned.

“Yeah. I figure he's either looking to confess, he's playing us, or he's looking to do something stupid. And even if it's the last one, he's been at this for ten years. It's—it's worth it if we can finally bring him down” Jungwoo admitted. Taeyong sighed.

 _“Look, just remember, if he's reaching out to you, he's feeling the pressure, all right? He could be capable of anything right now”_ he stated. Jungwoo nodded.

“I'll be ready, Captain” he replied. 

_“Be safe”_ Taeyong instructed.

“I will” Jungwoo assured before he hung up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	36. Case 5: The Number of Rats - TO BE CONTINUED

At Millennium Park, Jungwoo was walking around, hands in his coat pocket before he walked over to one of the seats in the park and sat down.

“Anybody got eyes on Yates?” he asked into his wrist walkie, feigning as if he was brushing hair out of his eyes. Johnny, who was in his car nearby, clicked his walkie.

“Ten, you got eyes?” he asked. Ten, who was standing next to Hendery, a sniper rifle with a scope in his hands, was looking at the scene through the scope when he shook his head.

“Nothing” he replied before he paused and noticed a figure walking into the park.

“Wait. I got him. He's approaching from the west” he declared as Yates walked over and stood before Jungwoo.

“Sorry I’m a little late. You look great, by the way” he stated. Jungwoo smiled thinly.

“So what was it you could only tell me in the park at night?” he asked. 

“Want to go grab a cup of coffee? It's too cold to sit” Yates replied, motioning for Jungwoo to follow him.

“Come on. I'm harmless” he assured. Jungwoo shook his head as he stood to his feet.

“We can talk right here” he stated. Yates shook his head in reply as he took a Chapstick out of his pocket and moistened his lip with it.

“No. I want some coffee. It's close, I promise. Or you can sit here and I’ll see you when I see you” he replied before turning and walking away, pausing to wait for Jungwoo to follow, which he did. Meanwhile, Lucas and Xiaojun was watching through binoculars nearby, letting out a low growl before he contacted Johnny and Hyunjin.

“Yates and Jungwoo are on the move” he growled as Ten and Hendery let out groans.

“We're shifting positions. We lost sight of Jungwoo” Hendery declared. Thankfully, Yuta and Sicheng were on the move, following after Yates and Jungwoo.

“Yeah, we got them. They're headed towards the walkway. We'll stay back” Sicheng declared into the walkie, both men keeping an eye on Jungwoo and Yates.

~*~*~*~*~

On the walkway, Jungwoo and Yates were walking side by side.

“I do this walk at night. The skyline, it's so beautiful. It stuns me every time” Yates stated as he looked around. Jungwoo hummed.

“Why'd you ask me to meet you in the park if you wanted to get coffee?” he asked. Yates scoffed.

“Oh, it's nothing nefarious. I changed my mind. It's cold” he replied. Jungwoo huffed.

“You know what I think? I think it's a move to assert control over the situation and over me” he declared. Yates shook his head as he looked over at Jungwoo.

“Your sergeant has gotten in your head. Don't let him think for you. You're better than that” he scolded. Jungwoo growled.

“He’s my Lieutenant” he snapped. Yates rolled his eyes before he sighed.

“Have you been following what's been going on in Egypt, Post revolution?” he asked, walking forward to step in front of and stop before Jungwoo, making him stop as well.

“No” he replied.

“Well, they finally got rid of Mubarak in 2011. Do you remember this at all? There's much fanfare and jubilation. The people are free. The people have spoken. But when the euphoria ebbs, as it inevitably does, what are they left with? High crime, raided antiquities, unrest. See, you can unclench the iron fist of that dictator, and that—that's great, but you are not really prepared for what's on the other side. You know what they call that, Detective? The law of unintended consequences” Yates declared. Jungwoo sighed.

“Why did you want to meet with me, Yates?” he demanded.

“Well, you know what my favorite example of that law is? In Hanoi, under French colonial rule, they established a bounty for each rat tail turned in to try and reduce the number of rats. You know what happened? People started breeding rats for the tails, and that charming little country ended up with more rats than it started with” Yates answered, ignoring Jungwoo’s question. Jungwoo huffed and crossed his arms as he looked at Yates.

“You want to know why I think you wanted to meet me? Because I’m exactly like all those women that were murdered, save for the fact that I am a male and 5’11” he spat.

“Is that so?” Yates purred. Jungwoo snarled, eyes flashing.

“Why don't we talk about that instead of hiding behind all this history 101 crap? Tell me what happened. I know that you want to. Who do I remind you of? Your mom? An ex-girlfriend maybe?” he asked, his voice soft. Yates said nothing before he smirked.

“More rats, Detective. Remember that” he whispered before he turned and walked off. Jungwoo watched him leave before he turned and walked back to the others. 

~*~*~*~*~

After Jungwoo and Yates parted ways, Hendery and Ten followed after Yates, watching where he was going.

“We’ve got him. He's headed for the taxi” Hendery declared into the comms; he and Ten watching as Yates got into a taxi, the taxi soon driving off.

~*~*~*~*~

“Sure you alright?” Johnny asked, looking at Jungwoo, who was standing next to Lucas, who had a protective arm around him. The rest of the team was there too, all of them standing in a circle.

“Yeah, I’m fine” Jungwoo assured, nodding. Just then, Ten arrived, panting slightly.

“Patrol says he took the cab to water tower place and then he slipped them once he got inside” he declared. Jungwoo shook his head.

“He's playing a game. He knows it's just a matter of time; we’ll get him” he assured, just as Johnny’s phone rang.

“Seo” he answered.

_“_ _Johnny, it’s Kris. We've got another body”_ Yifan declared on the other line. Johnny’s eyes widened before he hung up.

“Son of a fucking bitch” he whispered.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Johnny and his team headed to the scene where Yifan and Zitao were waiting for them. Johnny quickly walked over Yifan, shaking his hand.

“Johnny” Yifan greeted. Johnny dipped his head.

“How you doing, Kris?” he replied as Yifan sighed.

“Sorry to see you again like this” he stated. Johnny shrugged before he motioned to Yuta and Sicheng.

“Sergeant Nakamoto and Detective First Grade Dong. They're in from Asmaye” he introduced. Yuta dipped his head as he shook Yifan’s hand.

“Nice meeting you, Chief” he greeted. Yifan dipped his head in reply as he shook Yuta’s hand then shook Sicheng’s hand.

“Chief Wu Yifan, House 51” he introduced.

“Pleasure” Sicheng replied. Yifan then motioned to the house.

“This way” he instructed. Johnny, Yuta, and Sicheng nodded, following him into house while Jungwoo remained outside.

“Fire was started in the bedroom” Yifan stated. Yuta frowned.

“You said "was started"?” he asked. Yifan looked over at him and nodded.

“Yeah, the amount of damage in the room, lack of accidental causes…this is arson, if you ask me. I just can't prove that right now” he explained. Johnny hummed.

“Is there any way to tell whether or not it was started remotely?” he asked. Yifan sighed.

“We'll search for an incendiary device, but even the device survived the fire, it would be weeks, maybe months before any conclusion, and that's if we are lucky” he replied. Yuta tsked.

“That's why he was with Jungwoo when it started” he murmured. Sicheng nodded.

“Plausible deniability” he agreed before he knelt down and lifted up the blanket covering the victim.

“What is she, 18?” he murmured. Yuta hummed before he looked over and noticed a small burnt bottle nearby.

“What's this?” he asked, turning it around in his fingers until he came upon a clear side where they could see inside the bottle.

“Fucking green nail polish” Sicheng hissed. Johnny was quiet before he turned and walked out of the house, walking over to Jungwoo.

“Was it him?” Jungwoo demanded. Johnny nodded.

“Mhm” he replied. 

“So he was using me as an alibi?” Jungwoo whispered. Johnny nodded again.

“Yeah” he answered, just as Hyunjin walked out of the car and walked over to them.

“Yo, I got a location on his phone. It's an apartment on the west side” he stated. Johnny nodded.

“Get everyone over there now” he ordered. Hyunjin nodded and headed towards the car, Jungwoo heading to his own car.

“Give me the address” he ordered. 

“You got it” Hyunjin agreed as Yuta and Sicheng walked out of the burnt house, walking over to Johnny, who looked them in the eyes.

“Look, it's up to you, but—but if you're with me, you better know what that means” he stated. Yuta and Sicheng glanced at each other before they nodded, eyes glowing silver and pink. Johnny nodded as well, turning and heading back to his car, Yuta and Sicheng following after him.

~*~*~*~*~

At the westside apartment, Ten broke down the door with a battering ram before he entered the apartment.

“Stairs” he called out, heading towards the stairs as Johnny and the others entered.

“SKYSTAIN PD” he roared, eyes glowing red. They continued to look around, trying to find any sign of Greg Yates.

“Clear!” Hendery shouted.

“Clear!” Jungwoo added.

“Clear!” Ten shouted from the top of the stairs, just as Sicheng noticed stairs leading downstairs.

“Basement” he called out. Johnny nodded and motioned for Sicheng to go down while he headed upstairs to meet up with Ten, Yuta following behind him.

~*~*~*~*~

Upstairs, Ten, Yuta, and Johnny looked around but they found nothing.

~*~*~*~*~

Downstairs, in the basement, Lucas and Sicheng looked around, Sicheng letting out a cough.

“Is that ammonia?” he asked. Lucas nodded.

“A lot of it” he replied as Johnny and the others came down. Lucas then noticed as green nail polish bottle and lighter on the ground, as well as a cellphone sitting on one of the fans sitting on the ground.

“He was just here” he grumbled.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, Minhee just got home from the precinct, parking her car outside of Jungwoo and Lucas’s apartment, since she was their roommate. After she got out, she headed to the backseat to grab a large cake box when a throat cleared behind her. She stood up and turned around, only to see Greg Yates standing behind her.

“Hello” he greeted before he whacked her in the head with a tire iron. Minhee dropped the cake box as she slumped against the car, causing Yates to catch her and pull her close before he slipped her into the backseat of the car. He made sure that she was out before he shut the door and got into the front seat, turning on the engine before driving away.

**_TO BE CONTINUED_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	37. Case 6: Daydream Believer - Part 1

“Son of a bitch is toying with us” Johnny snarled as he and Jungwoo walked through the intelligence unit.

“Well, he knew we were tracking his phone. I mean, he left it in a basement next to a lighter and nail polish” he grumbled as Ten looked up at them.

“Hey, Yuta, Sicheng, and Hendery are still tearing the house apart” Jungwoo added. Ten shook his head.

“We had eyes on him less than an hour ago. He couldn't have gone far. We have alerts on his car, his I-PASS, his credit cards—” he started.

“Look, everybody is in on this. Have Minhee set up a civilian hotline” Johnny ordered, turning towards Minhee’s desk, only to find it empty.

“Where is she? Where's Minhee?” he asked, looking back at Ten and Jungwoo. Ten glanced towards his desk and noticed the note from Minhee, sighing.

“She had to run an errand” he stated before he turned to Jungwoo.

“She borrowed your car” he stated. Jungwoo frowned.

“An errand?” he repeated as he picked up his phone to call Minhee. Ten nodded.

“She went to pick up your birthday cake. It was supposed to be a surprise” he explained. Jungwoo was quiet before he tsked and shook his head.

“Straight to voicemail” he murmured. Johnny growled and punched a nearby filing cabinet, making Jungwoo and Ten look at him with wide eyes. Ten then sighed as he got up, walking over to Johnny, checking on his hand.

“Jesus John” he murmured before he ran a thumb over Johnny’s knuckles, healing them. Johnny let out a huff before he leaned down, resting his head against Ten’s, letting out a heavy sigh.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, on the road, Yates was driving down the highway, jamming out to some music behind the wheel while in the backseat, Minhee struggled and cried and muffle screamed underneath a green tarp. Yates glanced back every now and then but just smiled before he turned up the volume, continuing to jam out. 

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, in a gas station, Yates walked around with a basket in his hand, supplies to start a fire inside it. As he looked around the cash register, he noticed a woman carrying a basket, a baby, and some diapers in her hand walk next to him, making his eyes widen.

“Oh, let me give you a hand with that” he offered, taking the basket and diaper out of her hand before he smiled at the baby.

“It looks like you got your arms full already” he continued. The woman chuckled.

“You’re a peach” she stated. Yates smiled and wiggled a finger at the baby before he turned and picked up a bottle of green nail polish from the counter.

“Pick Your Poison” the woman declared, making Yates look over at her.

“Come again?” he asked. The woman chuckled and pointed to the polish.

“That's what it's called. All the polishes have silly names. She'll love it” she assured before she grabbed her stuff and walked over to the manned cashier, Yates watching her leave with a small smile on his face.

~*~*~*~*~

After he walked out of the gas station and back to his car, a trucker walked over to him.

“Evening. Is that your car?” the trucker asked. Yates frowned.

“Is there a problem?” he asked. The trucker motioned to the back of the car.

“Yeah, there's something moving around in the back” he replied. Yates chuckled.

“Oh, good, she's still alive. Don't you just hate it when you kidnap a girl, and she won't stop kicking the back of your seat?” he asked. The trucker looked at him in horror, making Yates chuff.

“It's my dog, man” he lied. The trucker blinked.

“Oh” he replied before he and Yates laughed.

“Yeah, my dog hates it when I lock her in the car too. You have a good evening now” the trucker bid before he turned and walked back to his truck.

“All right, cheers” Yates bid before he walked to the driver’s side of the car, getting in before he turned and ripped the tarp off of Minhee’s head, glaring at her.

“I said lie still or I will knock you clear out, got it?” he hissed before he took the tape off her mouth, causing her to cough.

“Is that a yes?” he asked.

“They're gonna find you. Please let me go” Minhee begged. Yates raised an eyebrow.

“Now? Come on. We are on our honeymoon” he purred, gently stroking her face with a finger.

“This is paradise compared to what's coming. Minhee, you ever seen Asmaye? It is the epicenter of the world. We are gonna have a field day, the two of us” he declared. Minhee shook her head.

“Please, I...I won't tell them that it was you” she whimpered. Yates chuckled.

“You missed your chance. See, a nice trucker, he heard you kicking. In fact, oh, look at that, he's still outside. If you'd only been just a little bit louder” he sneered as he turned on the car and put it into reverse.

“Help! Please! Somebody help me! Please!” Minhee screamed, causing Yates to laugh.

“It's too late for that now” he exclaimed as he continued to back out of the gas station, stepping on the brake to put it into drive.

“Hey, we've got a long drive ahead of us. Why don't you start by telling me something about yourself?” he asked as the music began to blast.

“Please... help me! Somebody help me!” Minhee screamed, but no one could hear her; they were already on the road, driving away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	38. Case 6: Daydream Believer - Part 2

“All right, tell me you got something” Johnny ordered a little while later when Hendery and Xiaojun walked into the unit.

“We found Yates’ car parked across from the district. CSU's tearing it apart, and there was...” Hendery started, pausing to look over at Xiaojun.

“What?!” Jungwoo exclaimed.

“A smashed birthday cake on the ground. No other sign of Minhee” Xiaojun replied. Johnny growled.

“Okay, he snatched her right off the street. There's got to be witnesses” he declared.

“Patrol's still canvassing. Also checking on traffic and security cams” Hendery stated. Meanwhile, Jungwoo let out a shaky sigh, causing Ten to walk over to him and place a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“This is not on you” he soothed.

“She went to get my birthday cake. She went outside because of me” Jungwoo whimpered. Ten shook his head.

“We don't know anything for sure” he whispered. Jungwoo shook his head.

“We know she didn't just take off, hyung. She's in trouble. We've got to find her” he whimpered, just as Hendery’s phone buzzed.

“Here we go” he declared, pulling his phone out of his pocket; turning away to answer it.

“All right, let's just not panic until we know” Ten whispered, causing Johnny to walk over to them.

“Hey, we know. He has her” he snapped. Ten glared at him.

“John, you’re not helping” he hissed, just as Hendery turned to look at them.

“Guys, we may have a hit on Jungwoo’s plates. East Side headed towards Calumet Park” he declared. 

“Did they stop the car?” Jungwoo demanded, turning to look at them. Hendery shook his head.

“Lost it in traffic. Reported a man driving and a woman in the front seat” he replied. Johnny huffed and grabbed his gun, holstering it.

“Come on, let's go” he ordered, walking out of the unit, the others following behind.

~*~*~*~*~

After leaving the precinct, Johnny and a few squad cars followed after Jungwoo’s car, the car soon pulling off to the side.

“Get out of the car, Yates. Hands up!” Johnny shouted as he got out of his car, Xiaojun and Hendery getting out of their squad car as they headed towards Jungwoo’s car. Jungwoo and Ten then got out of their car and headed towards Jungwoo’s car as well.

“Suspect's emerging” Hendery called out as he and Xiaojun pointed their guns at the man who slowly exited the car.

“Nice and slow, buddy. Nice and slow” Xiaojun added. When the man exited the car and saw himself surrounded by cops, his eyes widened in shock.

“What the hell? Hey, hey, don't shoot” he begged.

“Get down” Johnny barked as Jungwoo ran over to the man, holding out his hand.

“It's okay...just get down” he soothed.

“Don’t shoot!” the man exclaimed.

“It’s okay” Jungwoo soothed again, the man slowly lowering to his knees as Jungwoo shook his head.

“The son of a bitch switched the plates” he hissed as Hendery looked into the car.

“Got a mom and two kids” he called out.

“Otherwise the vehicle's clear” Xiaojun added. 

“Sir, where are you coming from?” Jungwoo asked, gently taking the man by the arm, helping him to his feet.

“Uh...Pothain. My mother-in-law's” the man replied.

“Okay, when was the last time you stopped?” Johnny demanded. 

“A rest stop in Fraynia for dinner. Outside Elkhart” the man replied. Johnny let out a soft groan.

“Oh, my God” he murmured, running a hand through his hair.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the precinct, after apologizing to the man that they stopped, Johnny gave Taeyong and Jaehyun a call.

_“Yuta and Winwin filled me in. He's still driving Jungwoo’s car?”_ Taeyong asked.

“We think so. He's smart. Taking back roads. Avoiding tolls” Johnny grumbled.

 _“Okay, what's the timeline?”_ Jaehyun asked. Johnny sighed.

“Minhee's cell goes dead around 5:00 in Skyistan. Two hours later, he swapped plates at a gas station near Elkhart, Fraynia” he explained. Taeyong hummed.

 _“And you think he’s headed here?”_ he inquired. 

“Well, the second switch is at a parking lot just east of Ridgate, Pothain” Johnny replied.

 _“And Asmaye is his old stomping ground”_ Jaehyun mused.

“He used to be somebody when he was there” Johnny added.

 _“Yeah, so he could be here by early morning. You put out alerts?”_ Taeyong asked. Johnny nodded, even though Taeyong and Jaehyun couldn’t see him.

“Yeah, his photo, hers too. Flagged both their credit cards. Also checking for stolen cards along the way” he stated.

_“Okay, as soon as you can confirm his new license plate, we'll broadcast it”_ Jaehyun declared.

“Your guys, Jungwoo, Ten and I are on the next flight out. Hopefully we get there before he does” Johnny stated before he sighed.

“Look, guys, just something else...Minhee...she's a good kid” he stated.

_“So I've heard”_ Taeyong stated.

“And we know what he's doing to her” Johnny spat. 

_“Don't go there, hyung. That never helps”_ Jaehyun stated. Johnny sighed.

“Yeah, I know” he replied before he hung up.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, in a dark parking lot, Yates was outside in the rain, exchanging plate on Jungwoo’s car before he opened the trunk and smiled at Minhee, which he had stashed back there.

“We made pretty good time. Looks like we'll get there about dawn. You ever see the sun rise over the East River?” he asked. Minhee said nothing, causing him to smile slightly.

“Nod your head. Yes? No?” he continued before he reached out and removed the tape from her mouth.

“Let me go” she begged. Yates tsked and shook his head.

“Oh, all the girls say that. _"Please don't kill me. I'll do whatever you want."_ Pretty soon you'll beg for your life. And a little secret: towards the end...you'll cry for your mama” he whispered. Minhee shook her head.

“Not me” she declared. Yates smiled.

“Oh, you will” he assured.

“You know what's gonna happen to you?” Minhee growled. Yates looked at her and laughed.

“You’re a funny girl” he mused.

“If you kill me, Johnny Seo is gonna track you down and make you wish you'd never been born” Minhee snarled before she spat in Yates’ face. Yates blinked before he growled.

“Enough small talk. For now” he growled, placing the tape back over Minhee’s face before slapping her with the replaced license plates, causing her to whimper. He then shut the back of the trunk, plunging her into darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	39. Case 6: Daydream Believer - Part 3

At the Asmaye Police Department Special Victims Unit, Taeyong walked into the conference room, Jaehyun following behind him.

“Okay, Skyistan PD's flight finally landed at LaGuardia. What can I tell Johnny?” he asked, looking at Donghyuck. Mark had gone back to the DA’s office and Taeyong promised to take him out to dinner as a thank you for working in the unit when he could have said no.

“We got a hit from a stolen credit card used to buy gas, an ice pick, and a shovel. It was off of route 78 near Plainfield, New Ashor. They're getting close. We've got local police getting an ID from the clerk now” Donghyuck declared.

“There's no hits on the last known plates, so he might have switched them again” he stated. Jaehyun shook his head.

“Still, he's got to take a tunnel or a bridge to get into Andodale” he argued. Donghyuck huffed.

“He's driving the most common car on the road. So what, are we gonna stop every silver Camry?” he demanded. Jaehyun fixed him with a looked.

“We're gonna stop every one driven by a male, white, that fits Yates' description and check every known location that Yates frequented when he lived here” he snapped, just as Donghyuck’s iPad beeped.

“Hey, hyung, we may have a hit on Jungwoo's car. It's south of the Broadway Bridge” he declared. Taeyong nodded.

“Let’s go” he ordered, Jaehyun and Donghyuck following behind.

~*~*~*~*~

At the abandoned shipyard, Johnny walked over to Taeyong and Jaehyun.

“All right, what have we got?” he asked. Taeyong shook his head.

“We just got here” he replied as Donghyuck motioned to the silver Camry.

“The sanitation truck spotted it. I mean, it's not exactly public parking” he stated. Jungwoo took one look at it and he knew.

“It's mine” he whispered. The men then quickly rushed over to the car, Jaehyun trying the door handle.

“It’s locked” he declared. Johnny shook his head.

“Not for long” he replied as he motioned for Jaehyun to get out of the way before he punched the driver’s side window, shattering the glass. He then unlocked the car, allowing Taeyong and Donghyuck to open the back seat doors while Yuta and Sicheng opened the trunk. Yuta noticed a blanket covering something, so he pulled it back, only to reveal supplies.

“Nothing. No body” he called out, just as Taeyong pulled a bloodied white scarf out from the crack between the backseat cushions. He then stepped back out of the car, holding it in his hands as Jungwoo walked over to him and looked at it.

“I gave her that scarf” he croaked.

“She left it for us to find” Johnny murmured.

“So she could still be alive” Jungwoo declared, hopeful. Taeyong nodded before he sighed and looked at everyone.

“Okay, there's no way he walked out of here, okay? We're gonna get more units, canines, cadets, check to see if there's any reports of stolen vehicles. We're gonna get him” he assured, looking over at Jungwoo, who nodded. Taeyong nodded and walked away, the others following after him while Johnny stepped forward, looking at Jungwoo with compassion in his eyes.

“Come here, kid” he murmured. Jungwoo went willingly into Johnny’s open arms, burying his face in Johnny’s shoulder.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, a pretty young woman was getting out of her cab and talking on the phone, not realizing that she was being scouted by Yates, who was drinking a coffee and walking on the other side of the street. He continued to watch as she took a suitcase out of the back of the cab and continued to talk on the phone, her hands full as she headed towards her apartment building. Yates then smiled and quickly walked over to the building, grabbing the door for her.

“Need help with that?” he asked. The woman hung up her call and looked over at him, smiling.

“Oh, thank you” she thanked as Yates reached out and took her suitcase.

“Sure” he replied, pushing the door open for her, allowing her to enter before he followed behind her.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, the pretty young woman was laying on the ground, the apartment trashed as Yates stood over her, panting heavily before he tore off a piece of duct tape and placed it over the young woman’s mouth.

“Oh, my God! Oh, my God!” a voice suddenly screamed, making him look up to see another woman, possibly the woman’s roommate, standing in the room with wide, horrified eyes. Yates growled before he stood up and stormed over to the door, shutting it before backhanding the woman across the face, sending her to the ground. Yates then let out a deep sigh before he cracked his neck. Time to get to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	40. Case 6: Daydream Believer - Part 4

A while later, transporters were taking the bodies out of the apartment as Johnny and Jungwoo rushed over to Taeyong and Donghyuck.

“Was it Yates?” Johnny demanded. Taeyong sighed.

“Could have been. There was two vics. One DOA, a slender brunette with long hair” he started.

“Was the other one Minhee?” Jungwoo asked, eyes wide. Donghyuck shook his head.

“No. It was a flight attendant sharing an apartment. Brutally beaten. He left behind a sap. Cracked their skulls. Both sexually assaulted” he stated as Johnny looked over at a woman who was surrounded by cops.

“She's a witness?” he asked, glancing at Donghyuck, who shook his head.

“Not to the crime. The perp helped her with her bags as he left the courtyard” he explained.

“Time?” Johnny demanded. 

“About half an hour ago. Her apartment's across from the girls. The door was ajar; she called it in” Donghyuck replied. Jungwoo then motioned to the woman.

“Do you mind if I help?” he asked. Taeyong nodded.

“Of course” he replied as Donghyuck motioned to the apartment building.

“Listen, CSU's upstairs” he stated. Johnny nodded.

“Yeah, I need to see for myself” he declared before he turned and headed into the building.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, Jungwoo jogged over to where Jaehyun was talking to the victim.

“This is a nightmare. They were so young” the woman murmured, shaking her head.

“Ma'am, you said that the man you saw was white in his 40s. Any of these guys?” Jaehyun asked, borrowing Donghyuck’s iPad to show the woman a line-up of men. The woman looked at the line up before she pointed to one photo and then another photo, this time of Greg Yates.

“Him, maybe, or... him” she stated. Jungwoo hummed as he looked at her.

“Did you see which way he went? Was he on foot? Did he get into a car?” he asked. The woman shook her head.

“I just remember he had the nicest smile” she replied. Jaehyun nodded before he gently touched the woman’s arm.

“Okay, thank you, ma'am” he thanked before he turned away, Jungwoo at his side.

“If he did this to these two, where the hell is Minhee?” he growled as he and Jaehyun walked over to Taeyong and Donghyuck.

“Did she ID him?” Taeyong demanded. Jaehyun sighed.

“Sort of” he replied.

“Not much else though” Jungwoo added. Donghyuck huffed.

“Okay, it's 30 minutes. He could have hopped on the subway. He could have stolen another car—” he started.

“Or there's a reason that he's in this neighborhood” Taeyong interrupted, making Donghyuck, Jaehyun, and Jungwoo look at him.

“Find out if there's anything from his past that ties him to Elmhurst” he ordered. 

~*~*~*~*~

While Taeyong and the others were still at the scene, Yates was following behind another woman whose arms were full of a bouquet and shopping bags.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the crime scene, Johnny walked out of the apartment building, Johnny absolutely shaking with rage as he stood before Taeyong, and Donghyuck.

“I'm gonna kill this animal” he snarled. Taeyong held up a calming hand, causing him to take a deep breath.

“Okay, any sign of forced entry?” he asked. Johnny shook his head.

“No” he replied. Taeyong hummed.

“So he charmed his way in. That's his MO” he mused. Donghyuck shook his head.

“Yes and no. Leaving the door open, the bodies in situ, the weapon…” he started, making Johnny look over at him.

“Your point?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“He's decompensating. He's getting sloppy or he knows we're closing in on him, and this is his final spree” Donghyuck explained, just as Jungwoo and Jaehyun ran over to them.

“Taeyong, Yates got a parking ticket back in 2004, three blocks from here” Jaehyun panted.

“Yuta and Sicheng are on the way” Jungwoo added. Taeyong nodded.

“Okay, let’s go” he ordered, turning and heading towards his car, Donghyuck following him while Jaehyun went with Johnny and Jungwoo.

~*~*~*~*~

On 23-54 96th Street, Yuta and Sicheng were joined by Johnny and Jungwoo; Yuta pointing to the building.

“Unis canvassed the block. Neighbors saw a male, white, Yates' age and height, follow a woman into this house” he stated as Sicheng rushed up to the front door, a police officer joining him with a battering ram.

“Hit it” he ordered. The police officer nodded and used the battering ram, bursting the door open, allowing Sicheng and the others to enter the house.

“APD! Everybody down” Sicheng ordered, gun out in front of him. Meanwhile, Yates and the woman were sitting at their dining table, having lunch, when Yates looked over at them and rolled his eyes.

“You can't just come in here like that” he grumbled.

“What's going on?” the woman demanded as Yuta and Johnny stormed towards the dining room table.

“Where is she?” Yuta snarled. Yates raised an eyebrow.

“She? Who? What is this about?” he asked, causing Johnny to storm over to him and yanked him up by the front of his shirt, shoving him into a nearby wall. Jungwoo then rushed over to the woman and pulled her up out of her seat, pushing her behind him.

“Where's Minhee?” Johnny snarled. Yates shook his head.

“I don’t know” he replied as Sicheng walked over to them.

“Hyung, back off, we got him. We got him” he assured as he pulled Johnny away from Yates before forcing him to turn around. Johnny huffed and walked away while Jungwoo turned to look at the woman.

“Ma'am, are you all right?” he asked. The woman nodded.

“I'm fine. We're having lunch. What is this?” she demanded. Yuta then pointed to Yates.

“You know this guy?” he asked. The woman frowned.

“Yates? He’s my fiancé” she explained. Everyone in the apartment froze and looked at Yates before Sicheng grabbed him and began walking away.

~*~*~*~*~

A few hours later, Ten arrived at the precinct, Johnny meeting him at the elevator.

“Hey” Ten greeted, leaning up to kiss Johnny on the lips before they began walking towards the Special Victim’s Unit.

“You got him? Where is he?” he asked. 

“He's in with Sicheng” Johnny replied. Ten huffed.

“He still hasn't told us where Minhee is?” he asked. Johnny shook his head.

“Nope. We could use a bad cop in there” he stated. Ten’s eyes flicked to black.

“Count on it” he growled.

~*~*~*~*~

After dropping off his bag, Ten headed into the interrogation room, where Sicheng was speaking to Yates.

“I don't know what happened to Minhee” Yates stated. Ten scoffed.

“You don't know? You kidnapped her” he spat. Yates looked at him, scandalized.

“Kidnapped? No, she offered me a ride. Have you really not heard from her? No wonder you're so worried” he murmured.

“Cut the crap. Where is she?” Ten snarled. Yates just raised an eyebrow at him while Sicheng cleared his throat, making Yates look over at him.

“Dr. Yates, tell me how you and Minhee...” he started.

“Hooked up?” Yates offered. Sicheng nodded.

“Sure” he replied.

“Well, I was a bit on edge. I knew the Skyistan cops were after me. I thought I should visit the station, maybe clear the air, but I met Minhee there and she thought that was a bad idea” Yates explained. Ten hummed.

“Mm-hmm, and she, uh, she offered you a ride?” he sneered.

“Yes, she said she needed to get out of town, but she didn't want to drive alone. I don't know, I just went with it” Yates explained. Sicheng frowned.

“From what I know about you, you don't really act on impulse. As a surgeon, right, you can't. You have to be methodical, thoughtful—” he started. Meanwhile, outside, Johnny, Taeyong, Yuta, and Jaehyun were watching the interrogation.

“Is this an interrogation or a date?” Johnny grumbled. 

“He’s getting him to talk” Taeyong assured. Johnny huffed.

“He's jerking him around” he grumbled. 

“Give him some time. He's been getting away with this for 20 years” Yuta soothed as Jaehyun shook his head.

“And he's not gonna cave” he stated before he turned and pointed to the girlfriend.

“The girlfriend” he declared, walking over to the other interrogation room.

“Yates and I have been involved on and off for 19 years. We met while he was at medical school” the girlfriend stated as Taeyong and Johnny walked over to stand by him, watching as Donghyuck and Jungwoo interrogated her.

“Right, at Duke” Donghyuck stated.

“Yes, I was a freshman. We moved to Asmaye together” the girl replied. Jungwoo nodded slowly.

“That's a long time. When did you two get engaged?” he asked. The girlfriend laughed.

“Just today, actually. He never wanted to commit. He's a bit of a rolling stone, but that kind of worked for me too” she replied as Jungwoo and Donghyuck looked at one another; Johnny, Jaehyun, and Taeyong looking at one another outside the interrogation room window.

“Did you ever live together?” Jungwoo asked. The girlfriend shook her head.

“No, I guess we both needed our space” she replied. Donghyuck frowned.

“Did you ever wonder why he needed his space?” he inquired. The girlfriend turned to him and shrugged.

“He's a doctor. He's busy with his practice. He needs to unwind. He likes to take hikes. He rides his bike. He goes rock climbing—” she started when Donghyuck held up a hand.

“Sarah...Greg Yates is not who you think he is” he stated before he opened the file in front of him and put down different photos of missing girls.

“Look, these girls went missing at Eastwood; in Asmaye, Oshea, Skyistan. Girls who were raped, bludgeoned, burned. All while Yates was living in those cities” he deadpanned. Sarah looked at the photos in horror before she looked up at Donghyuck.

“That is not possible. You don't know him like I do. He’s kind, he's loving. He's never even raised his voice to me” she argued. Jungwoo nodded slowly.

“Okay, did he tell you why he was in Asmaye?” he inquired. 

“He said he wanted to see me, that he'd missed me. I have family out west. He said we should move there” Sarah explained.

“He left Skyistan because police were about to arrest him for serial rape and murder” Donghyuck snarled. Sarah shook her head; she didn’t want to believe him.

~*~*~*~*~

“Minhee looked at me like a father figure. She said she couldn't deal with the responsibility of being everyone's good girl, that she needed to spread her wings” Yates explained, making Ten growl before he reached out and grabbed Yates by the front of his shirt.

“You're sick! What happened to her?!” he roared, causing Sicheng to shoot out of his seat and gently pull Ten away.

“Ten-ge…calm down” he whispered before he turned back to Yates.

“I think what my colleague is asking...you were the last one with her. You knew her mindset. What do you think happened to her?” he asked, sitting back down while Ten went to go stew in the corner.

“A pretty girl like that looking to party in Asmaye? I mean, it kind of depends on who she fell in with, doesn't it?” Yates replied. Sicheng sighed.

“I mean, where…do you think this person would take her?” he asked. Yates blinked.

“Oh, um...well, he would probably take her to a remote location where he could do whatever he wanted to her” he replied. Sicheng nodded slowly.

“And after that?” he asked, his voice soft.

“Maybe he would take her body to a special place. A sacred place. A place where he could visit her every once in a while. Maybe...defile her again, you know” Yates answered before he turned and looked at the reflective mirror.

“I can't imagine what you're going through right now. It must be horrible thinking about Minhee's last moments, how she must have suffered. Your lives must be a living hell wondering if you're ever even going to find the body” he continued, looking right at Johnny, who was shaking with rage.

“I'm going in” he snarled. Taeyong and Yuta quickly got in front of him, both of them holding up their hands.

“Just let Winko do his job” Yuta soothed. Meanwhile, across the unit, Jaehyun was watching them before he turned back to continue watching the interrogation of Sarah.

“No, no, that is just not possible” she exclaimed as she stood up from her chair, backing away from the photo that Donghyuck was showing her.

“This is where he was right before he came to your apartment. Look at it” Donghyuck snapped, standing up as well, continuing to point to the crime scene photos.

“He bludgeoned this girl to death, and that one's brain damaged” he snarled. Sarah glared at him.

“You're lying to me” she exclaimed.

“Am I?” Donghyuck spat. 

“Sarah, why do you think I'm here? He kidnapped a girl in Skyistan, and we tracked him here” Jungwoo growled.

“No!” Sarah argued, shaking her head. Jungwoo huffed and reached into his own file, pulling out a picture of Minhee, slamming it down on the table.

“Her name is Minhee. He has her. She's my friend” he croaked, looking at Sarah with tear-filled eyes. Sarah then slowly sat down as Jungwoo began pulling out more evidence against Yates.

“On the drive here, he bought an ice pick and a shovel at a rest stop with a stolen credit card. Here” he spat, slamming down a receipt and a photo of the things found in Yates’ car. Sarah looked at the photo as Donghyuck pointed to it.

“We found this in his car along with her blood and his DNA” he continued. Sarah shook her head.

“Now I know you're lying. He was at the beach. A special place he likes to go. He told me so. He had sand in his shoes. That's why I asked him about it. He said he had gone there to mediate. He decided he was going to ask me to marry him while sitting on that beach” she explained. Jungwoo let out a heavy sigh.

“What beach, Sarah?” he asked. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	41. Case 6: Daydream Believer - Part 5

At the beach that Sarah told them about, a multitude of police officers and CSU members were canvassing the beach, looking for any evidence or signs of Minhee.

“Sarah said Yates sometimes took her to the main beach in the summers” Jaehyun stated as Johnny shook his head.

“There's no bodies out here; too public” he grumbled. 

“You're right, this place is mobbed in the summer” Donghyuck agreed.

“Yates did speculate that the killer liked to come back and visit” Sicheng added. Jungwoo frowned.

“Maybe they're both playing us” he murmured. Taeyong was quiet before it hit him.

“Someplace sacred. Search the woods” he ordered before turning and heading to the woods, the others following behind.

~*~*~*~*~

The detectives from Asmaye and Skyistan continued to search the woods, CSU officers walking over to a table with some bone fragments.

“Hey” Jungwoo called out, making Taeyong, and Johnny turn and look over at him.

“Is it her?” Johnny asked. Jungwoo shook his head.

“No, some old bones, a skull” he replied as Sicheng, Donghyuck, and Yuta walked over to them.

“We got thigh bones, pelvic bones, a hand...” Sicheng started.

“All complete decomp” Donghyuck continued.

“They've been there for years” Yuta finished. Taeyong shook his head.

“My God” he whispered.

“John” Ten suddenly called out, making Taeyong and Johnny look up before quickly rushing over to him and Jaehyun, the others following behind them.

“We got her” Jaehyun murmured as he motioned to Minhee’s lifeless body wrapped in the green tarp, her fingernails painted green. Jungwoo’s eyes widened and he let out a sob as he quickly covered his mouth, making Jaehyun look over at him.

“I’m sorry” he apologized.

“No…” Jungwoo whimpered, causing Ten to walk over to him and take him into his arms, holding him tightly as Jungwoo buried his face in his shoulder.

“Cover her up” Johnny ordered. CSU officers did as they were told and covered Minhee’s face as Johnny ran a hand through his hair, letting out a deep and heavy sigh.

~*~*~*~*~

After finding Minhee’s body, Taeyong and Johnny headed to Mark’s office, handing him an iPad with the crime scene photos.

“So they found her?” Mark murmured as he looked at the photos.

“Yeah” Johnny replied.

“She’s the one you worked with?” Mark asked, glancing up at him. Johnny nodded.

“Yeah” he replied. 

“I’m sorry” Mark whispered as Taeyong shook his head.

“She was raped and tortured and killed in a car that Yates dumped in Upper Andodale. He must have stolen another car to transport her to his burial ground” he grumbled. Mark looked at him with wide eyes.

“Burial ground? How many others?” he asked. Johnny huffed.

“Seven remains so far...they're working through the night. They're still digging” he explained.

“The bodies have been there for years. It's down to skulls and bones. We're looking at dental records. Two hits so far” Taeyong declared. Mark hummed.

“Any of your cold cases?” he inquired. Taeyong nodded.

“Yeah, that nurse that went missing in '04, and the other one was a high school student from Syosset” he replied.

“Timelines are a match for Yates’ years in Asmaye, and Oshea; Durham. Multiple missing and murdered women from Yates’ years in those cities” Johnny added. 

“No forensics? Nothing to tie him to any of them?” Mark asked. Taeyong shook his head.

“No. Yates usually chooses his victims at random, okay? He either burned the bodies or he buried them. He _never_ left evidence” he explained. Mark frowned.

“Not even with the two vics in Mevine?” he asked. 

“There's no blood from them on his clothes or on his body. He must have changed his clothes, washed himself. None of his DNA is in their apartment” Taeyong explained. Mark groaned and ran a hand through his hair; this was becoming a pain in his ass.

“Can the vic who survived ID him?” he asked. Johnny shook his head.

“Brain damage” he replied. Mark let out another groan.

“Oh for fucks sake” he grumbled.

“I got a State's Attorney standing by in Skyistan. We can try Yates for his last two victims there” Johnny offered, making Mark look up at him.

“You mean the one he burned, along with any evidence? Or the one who apparently died while Yates was walking in the park with one of your detectives, along with your whole squad there to alibi him” he snapped.

“Hang on, Mark” Taeyong soothed, looking over at the young man.

“Kim Minhee was not random. This was a “screw you” to Skyistan PD” he stated. Mark sighed heavily.

“Do we even have any evidence that puts Yates in the car with her?” he asked. Taeyong nodded.

“Yes. We have forensics, and we have footage of him driving” he replied.

“Not to mention he admits it” Johnny added. Mark looked between the two men before he sighed.

“She's our best case. Kim Minhee” he declared. 

~*~*~*~*~

At the supreme court, Yates, his lawyer, and Mark were standing before the judge’s bench.

“Kim Minhee would be horrified to find me on trial for her murder. She was someone I grew close to” Yates explained. 

“Is there a point to this?” Mark snapped.

“Yes. In light of the serious charges I'm facing, I've decided it's in my best interest to represent myself” Yates declared, making everyone look at him in shock.

“He's just decided this now?” Mark asked, raising an eyebrow. Yates’ lawyer blinked before she looked at the judge.

“This is the first I'm hearing of this, Your Honor” she stated. The judge frowned before she looked over at Yates.

“Dr. Yates, are you sure? You are entitled to competent counsel, and Ms. Mizui is an experienced attorney” she reminded. Yates nodded.

“She is, but with all due respect, it's my life at stake, not hers” he replied.

“This is a delaying tactic” Mark grumbled. 

“No, I'm ready to go now. I may lack experience, but I am committed to clearing my name” Yates declared. The judge sighed.

“Very well. Trial will proceed with Ms. Mizui staying on as co-counsel” she declared. Mark nodded and everyone headed back to their respective benches. After heading back to their benches, Mark called his first witness to the stand: Dr. Liu Yangyang, M.E.

“As those autopsy and crime scene photos show, Kim Minhee had been struck repeatedly by a heavy object in the head and chest, suffering traumatic wounds pre-mortem. She was then strangled. There are also ligature marks on her wrist and ankles indicating she had been bound” he stated as Mark handed the crime scene and autopsy photos to the jury, having them look it over.

“Were there any signs of sexual assault?” Mark asked.

“Wounds and tears to her vagina and rectum indicating violent penetration” Yangyang replied. 

“I see, thank you” Mark thanked as he headed back to his bench; Yates standing up to cross.

“Doctor, forgive me, I am new at this. But those wounds of the vagina and rectum, are those the kinds of things you might see in the body of an active prostitute?” he asked, making Mark look over at him. Yangyang blinked before he nodded slowly.

“To some extent, but not...” he started.

“To some extent. Nothing further” Yates interrupted before he sat back down. 

~*~*~*~*~

After the cross, Jungwoo was brought to the stand.

“Minhee loved her job. She had really turned her life around; she was studying criminology to become a police officer. That was her dream” he explained. Mark hummed.

“Her dream. Did she ever tell you she wanted to throw it away and move to Asmaye?” he asked. Jungwoo shook his head.

“Absolutely not. When she disappeared, I knew something had happened to her” he explained, causing Yates to shoot to his feet.

“Objection. What the witness thinks he knows can't be evidence, can it?” he asked.

“Sustained” the judge replied. Mark huffed before he looked at Jungwoo.

“Detective Kim, when did you next see Ms. Kim?” he asked.

“When we found her body in a shallow grave” Jungwoo croaked. Mark nodded slowly.

“So something had happened to her. I'm very sorry” he apologized before he headed back to his bench as Yates stood up and walked over to the witness stand.

“Detective Kim, did you meet Ms. Kim through friends, at a party, a police benefit for widows and orphans...” he started.

“Your Honor” Mark interrupted.

“Ask your question, Dr. Yates” the judge ordered. 

“Well, how did you meet Ms. Kim?” Yates asked, turning to look at Jungwoo. 

“I arrested her” Jungwoo replied. Yates raised an eyebrow.

“For what?” he inquired.

“Objection. What the murder victim did a year before she died is not relevant” Mark called out as he stood up.

“It is if she was doing it again an hour before she died” Yates argued.

“Approach?” Mark asked. The judge nodded and both Yates and Mark walked up to the judge’s bench.

“Your Honor, there is absolutely no evidence that Ms. Kim reverted to prior behavior” Mark hissed.

“There will be” Yates declared.

“In what form?” the judge asked, raising an eyebrow.

“My testimony. I was the last person to see her alive, except for the killer, of course. Detective Kim opened the door when he beatified Minhee” Yates explained. The judge huffed.

“I'll give you some leeway since you're representing yourself, Dr. Yates, but move it along” she ordered. Mark gave Jungwoo an apologetic look before he headed back to his bench while Yates looked at Jungwoo.

“What was Ms. Kim doing when you arrested her?” he asked. Jungwoo sighed.

“She was working as an escort” he replied.

“As a prostitute” Yates stated before he crossed his arms.

“Was she on drugs?” he asked.

“She was addicted to heroin when I arrested her. She really struggled for a time, but when she was ready, she called me, and I brought her to rehab. She had been clean and sober ever since” Jungwoo replied. Yates raised an eyebrow.

“Are you sure?” he inquired. Jungwoo nodded.

“Yes. She stayed at my apartment with me and my brother. We saw her every day for a year” he explained. Yates hummed.

“You sound very committed to her recovery. I can see how you'd hate to think that your little rescue project failed” he mused.

“Objection” Mark barked.

“Sustained. You're done, Dr. Yates” the judge ordered. Yates smiled and nodded.

“Okeydoke” he replied. Jungwoo shook his head slightly while Mark looked at him apologetically again before shooting a glare to Yates.

~*~*~*~*~

During a brief recess, Jungwoo went outside to speak to the others, shaking slightly.

“I tried my best, but he just made her sound...” he whimpered as he stood before Johnny and Ten, Johnny shaking his head.

“Jungwoo, it's not on you” he soothed as Mark, Jaehyun, and Taeyong walked out of the courtroom.

“You just gonna let him get away with smearing Minhee like that?” Ten demanded, turning to glare at Mark.

“There's a limit to how far he can go. When he exceeds it, I'll object” Mark replied calmly.

“You’ll object?” Johnny repeated. Mark raised an eyebrow.

“Is there a problem?” he asked.

“There shouldn't be. He's a murderer and a rapist” Johnny snarled. Mark sighed.

“We all know that, but no offense to your legal acumen, the jury isn't privy to what we know. They all see the same charming man whose smile lured dozens of women to their deaths” he replied before he turned to Taeyong.

“Hyung, we need to prep. This is going to be hard on you” he stated. Taeyong shook his head.

“I'm fine, we went over it” he assured. Mark sighed and nodded before he turned and headed back in while Jaehyun and Taeyong turned back to Jungwoo, Johnny, and Ten.

“Hey, maybe you don't want to be in there” Taeyong murmured, looking at Johnny.

“Yeah, I do” Johnny replied before he, Ten, and Jungwoo turned and headed back into the court. Jaehyun and Taeyong looked at one another before Taeyong sighed.

“Hey” Jaehyun murmured, making Taeyong look at him.

“Hmm?” he replied. Jaehyun smiled fondly.

“You’re going to do fine” he soothed. Taeyong nodded.

“Thank you” he whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	42. Case 6: Daydream Believer - CASE CLOSED

After the recess, Taeyong went onto the stand.

“A forensic exam found DNA from Ms. Kim and from the defendant in Detective Kim’s car. There was also blood from Ms. Kim” he explained. Mark hummed and placed his hands in his pockets.

“When you questioned the defendant about that car, what did he say?” he inquired.

“He claimed that Ms. Kim invited him to drive with her here from Skyistan” Taeyong replied. Mark nodded slowly.

“Did he offer any explanation for the presence of her blood in her car?” he inquired. Taeyong shook his head.

“No, he did not. He did, however, say he was sure that she must have suffered” he replied. Mark was quiet before he nodded.

“No doubt” he murmured for only Taeyong to hear before he nodded again.

“Thank you, Captain Lee” he thanked, turning to head back to his bench while Yates stood to his feet.

“You don't like me, do you, Captain?” he asked.

“Objection. Relevance?” Mark demanded.

“Sustained. Dr. Yates, confine your questions to the case” the judge ordered. 

“Okay, the case. Captain Lee, you recently went to Skyistan to investigate another rape, murder, and arson, didn't you?” Yates asked. Taeyong nodded.

“Yes, I did” he replied. Yates hummed.

“A murder similar to a case of yours from a dozen years ago in Asmaye?” he asked. 

“That’s correct” Taeyong answered.

“And you were looking for one suspect in both of these murders” Yates continued.

“Yes. You were that suspect” Taeyong snarled. Yates raised a finger.

“You say that today, Captain, but before I was arrested, you had another suspect in mind, didn't you?” he asked. Taeyong huffed.

“I was consulting with Skyistan PD. We were pursuing many leads” he replied. Yates hummed and head back to his bench, Ms. Mizui handing him a piece of paper.

“Oh, I see, and...from your investigative notes, was one of these leads a Dr. Amber Liu?” he asked, looking up at Taeyong.

“Her name did come up” Taeyong replied.

“She was a medical student in Asmaye at the time of the 2004 murders, so her name came up during that investigation?” Yates asked.

“She wasn't a suspect at the time” Taeyong replied. Yates hummed.

“Really? Well, why did SVU speak with her?” he inquired. Taeyong sighed.

“Because she knew another woman who had gone missing” he answered. 

“And did you suspect that the murderer you were looking for was involved in that case?” Yates questioned.

“Yes” Taeyong replied.

“And then, Amber shows up in Skyistan right before that murder. She even works in the same hospital as the Skyistan victim” Yates stated, looking at the jury.

“Yes, that's why I went and spoke with Amber. She was ruled out by an alibi” Taeyong replied.

“I see, and that alibi was confirmed, not by you, but by the Intelligence Unit of the Skyistan police, isn't that right?” Yates asked, turning to face him.

“Yes” Taeyong replied. Meanwhile, in the gallery, Ten was clenching his hand into a fist so hard that Johnny reached over and unclenched it, lacing his fingers with Ten’s so that Ten didn’t hurt himself.

“A unit of the Skyistan police that includes Sergeant Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul, who just happens to be the brother of Dr. Amber Liu” Yates continued. 

“Yes” Taeyong replied.

“The suspect's brother conveniently cleared your prime suspect, and you let him go on his merry way while looking for someone else to charge with murder” Yates stated. Taeyong huffed.

“Dr. Amber Liu was cleared because she didn't do it. She’s also a woman. She doesn’t fit the profile” he deadpanned. Yates hummed.

“Interesting. Did you ask her where she was at the time Kim Minhee went missing?” he asked.

“No, we did not” Taeyong replied. 

“I guess you didn't want to know” Yates mused.

“Objection!” Mark exclaimed.

“Withdrawn. No more questions” Yates replied as he headed back to his bench.

~*~*~*~*~

“My sister was in Skyistan that day. We could find a dozen witnesses” Ten hissed as he and the others walked out of the courtroom for another recess.

“Then the trial becomes about your brother and not Yates” Jungwoo reminded.

“He's smart” Jaehyun mused.

“He's scum” Johnny spat. 

“He knows what he's doing” Yuta mused.

“He gets off on torture, even in court” Sicheng added as they all headed to the elevator, heading out.

~*~*~*~*~

After the recess, Yates took the stand to give his testimony.

“I ran into Minhee outside the police station. She warned me about the Skyistan PD. She said they were looking for a patsy” he explained.

“And that's when you decided to drive to Asmaye with Ms. Kim?” Ms. Mizui asked.

“No, I made that decision when she told me what they were doing to her” Yates replied. 

“Which was what?” Ms. Mizui asked, placing her hands on her hips.

“Her boss there, Lieutenant Seo, was making her have sex with him” Yates replied. Mark immediately shot to his feet while Johnny and Jungwoo had to hold Ten back from flying at Yates and attacking him.

“Objection, hearsay!” Mark shouted.

“It's key to my defense, Your Honor. I wasn't kidnapping her. I was trying to help her escape” Yates replied. The judge sighed.

“If it goes to your state of mind, I'll allow it. Your testimony can only reflect what you saw or experienced” she stated. Mark growled and sat back down as Ms. Mizui continued her questioning.

“Why did you get in the car with Kim Minhee, Dr. Yates?” she asked.

“I believed Lieutenant Seo was raping her” Yates answered. At his answer, Johnny and Jungwoo had to tighten their grip on Ten because he was 0.5 seconds away from flying off the handle.

_“Ten, calm down. You know he’s making this up”_ Johnny whispered.

_“I’m going to kill him. I’m gonna do it”_ Ten hissed as Yates continued his testimony.

“She wanted to get away, I helped her drive. She was distraught at the abuse that she had suffered. She wanted to get high. I tried to talk her out of it” he continued.

“Did you succeed?” Ms. Mizui inquired. Yates huffed.

“Oh, I wish. But as soon as we got to Asmaye, she said that she was going to get a fix” he explained.

“Objection. Hearsay” Mark called out, standing up.

“Sustained. Jury will disregard” the judge ordered as Mark sat back down.

“What was your last impression of Kim Minhee based on what you witnessed?” Ms. Mizui asked.

“She had a look in her eyes...a look that I recognized from my medical practice. She was jonesing. I...I was afraid that she would prostitute herself to get the money to buy heroin. After all, that is the life she knew. She got out of the car. I never saw her again” Yates stated. Ms. Mizui nodded.

“Thank you, sir” she thanked as Mark looked up at him.

“So, Kim Minhee told you she decided to flee Skyistan?” he asked. Yates nodded.

“That’s right” he replied. Mark hummed and nodded.

“Did she happen to tell you why she decided to go at that very moment, leaving behind $2,000 in a savings account, all her clothes and other belongings, the new friends she'd made, the Narcotics Anonymous group she'd been attending faithfully?” he inquired as he stood to his feet, walking over to the witness stand.

“She was desperate to get out. She didn't have her own car” Yates replied. Mark shook his head.

“That's not the question” he stated.

“She was supposed to go to a birthday party but she...” Yates started.

“Your Honor” Mark interrupted, looking at the judge.

“Jury will disregard” the judge ordered before she looked at Yates.

“Dr. Yates, limit your testimony to answering only the questions you are asked” she instructed. Yates nodded as Mark continued his questioning.

“Did Ms. Kim know that SPD considered you its main suspect in a series of brutal rape/murders?” he asked.

“Yes, but she also knew...” Yates started.

“She knew her entire squad was looking for you, and yet she asked you, of all people, to drive halfway across the country with her?” Mark interrupted. Yates opened his mouth to answer when Mark smirked.

“Actually, withdrawn. Nothing further” he declared, turning and heading back to his bench.

“Redirect, Your Honor” Yates stated. The judge nodded.

“I'll allow” she replied as Ms. Mizui stood up.

“Dr. Yates, do you have anything more to add?” she asked.

“Yes. My impression of Kim Minhee's emotional state when I got in the car with her was that she was under Lieutenant Seo command. She was traumatized by him tying her up...” Yates started.

“Thank you, Doctor. Nothing further” Ms. Mizui interrupted.

“And brutally forcing himself inside of her, again and again” Yates continued, ignoring her.

“Nothing further. Thank you, Doctor” Ms. Mizui stated. Mark studied Yates before he turned and looked back at Taeyong, nodding slightly.

~*~*~*~*~

During another recess, Mark walked over to Taeyong and Jaehyun.

“Counselor, good job. Did you see what we saw?” Jaehyun asked.

“The real Greg Yates?” Mark replied.

“I just hope the jury saw it” Taeyong murmured as they all continued walking away from the courtroom. Mark smirked.

“They haven't yet. They will” he assured.

~*~*~*~*~

“Dr. Liu, I just have a few more questions about Ms. Kim's injuries” Mark stated when they came from the recess, Yangyang back up on the stand. Ms. Mizui quickly stood up, looking at the judge.

“Your Honor, we've already heard from this M.E. The state concluded its case” she argued.

“The defendant alleged the victim was a prostitute. I'm entitled to refute” Mark countered. The judge nodded.

“Yes, you are. Proceed” she instructed. Mark nodded.

“Um...did you find evidence in Ms. Kim's body of multiple sexual partners?” he asked, looking at Yangyang as he placed the photos down on his desk where Yates could see them.

“No, there was no DNA, and the condom lubricant I found in her vagina and rectum was the same brand” Yangyang replied. 

“So she was assaulted in both places by the same man” Mark mused as he walked around his desk, leaving the photos out. Yangyang nodded.

“It's likely. Judging from the healing process, both penetrations occurred around the same time” he explained.

“Did you make a full catalogue of Ms. Kim's injuries as shown in these autopsy photos?” Mark inquired, walking back to his desk, picking up the photos, showing them to Yates.

“Yes. It was quite extensive” Yangyang replied. Mark said nothing, continuing to show the photo to Yates while he glanced back at Jaehyun and Taeyong, both men nodding slightly. Mark then smirked before he put down the photos.

“Thank you, Doctor” he thanked as he sat back down. The judge then looked over at Yates.

“Cross-examine?” he asked.

“No” Ms. Mizui replied.

“Yes” Yates declared, causing both of them to look at one another while the judge just raised an eyebrow.

“Which is it?” she asked. Yates blinked before he cleared his throat.

“Uh, yes, Your Honor, I, uh…” he started before clearing his throat again.

“I do have a few questions” he assured as he looked at Mark.

“May I examine those photos?” he asked. Mark smirked and handed them over.

“Absolutely” he replied. Yates stared at the photos, going through them, causing the judge, Taeyong and the others, and Mark to look at him before the judge cleared her throat.

“Dr. Yates, your questions?” she asked. Yates nodded.

“Yes... yes” he replied, his hands shaking as he continued to stare at the photos before looking up at Yangyang.

“Uh, Doctor, could Ms. Kim's injuries have been caused by her prostitution?” he asked. Yangyang shook his head.

“It's unlikely. She was savaged” he replied. Yates hummed.

“Savaged, you say. How so?” he asked, slowly walking towards Yangyang, almost like he was in a trance, which Mark noticed.

“In addition to the blunt trauma and strangulation, there were cuts on her nipples and external genitalia” Yangyang explained.

“And her anal sphincter, was...was that torn?” Yates asked. 

“Yes, it was” Yangyang replied. Yates hummed.

“And these injuries, though not fatal, they would have been painful?” he asked. Yangyang nodded.

“Very. She died a slow death” he replied. 

“How long did she survive after the first attack started?” Yates asked. Yangyang shrugged.

“30 minutes, maybe longer” he replied.

“And she would have been in agony all through it?” Yates asked. 

“Mr. Lee, not to put words in your mouth, but I'm willing to entertain an objection if you have one” the judge stated, looking over at Mark, who just waved his hand.

“I'm fine, Your Honor” he replied.

“Doctor, was she in a lot of pain?” Yates asked, looking at Yangyang, who nodded.

“Yes. I'm sure she was” he replied.

“Were there signs of struggle?” Yates asked as he looked down at the photos.

“Yes. The skin was torn around the ligature Marks” Yangyang answered.

“What goes through a victim's head in their final moments?” Yates asked, causing Ms. Mizui to stand to her feet.

“Your Honor, may I please speak with my client?” she asked. Yates turned to her and shook his head.

“No, I'm not done here” he stated.

“A short recess” Ms. Mizui begged.

“Sit down” Yates growled, causing the jury to glance around at each other. Yates then turned back to Yangyang.

“Back to Minhee. Would the terror, the fear, have flooded her with adrenaline?” he asked. Yangyang shook his head.

“I can't answer that” he replied. Yates let out a small laugh before he let out a sharp exhale.

“Would she have awareness of what was going on? Would she understand that these were the final moments of her life?” he asked. Yangyang looked at him with horror and concern as he looked back at him, slightly unhinged.

“Come on, Doctor. We are both medical people. Use your knowledge!” he shouted. He then looked over at the jury, who were all giving him looks before he let out a shuddering breath.

“Or...or don't” he replied, heading back to his bench.

~*~*~*~*~

After deliberating, the judge looked over at the jury.

“Members of the jury, have you reached a verdict?” she asked. The head juror nodded and stood to her feet.

“We have, Your Honor. On the charge of rape and sodomy in the first degree, we find the defendant, Greg Yates, guilty” she declared. The people in the gallery began to murmur as Yates lowered his head while Johnny and the others let out breaths of relief.

“On the charge of murder in the first degree, we find the defendant guilty” the head juror continued. 

“Dr. Yates, you will remain in custody pending sentencing. Members of the jury, the State of Asmaye thanks you for your service. Court is adjourned” the judge declared. Mark then turned and looked at everyone, Jungwoo and Ten shaking his hand in thanks while Yates turned and smirked at Jungwoo before being led away.

~*~*~*~*~

Later that evening, in a local pub, the SUV and the SPD were toasting to Minhee’s life.

“Minhee was family. We'll miss her” Ten murmured. Everyone was silent before Jungwoo raised his glass.

“To Minhee” he croaked.

“To Minhee” Taeyong agreed, raising his own glass.

“To Minhee” the others replied, raising their glasses before clinking them and taking a sip.

~*~*~*~*~

After spending some time at the pub, in the courthouse holding, Johnny decided to visit Yates alone. When he arrived, he nodded to the guard, who nodded and headed out of the room, allowing Johnny to shut the door behind him before he walked over to Yates and wrapped an arm around his neck, holding his head tightly in the crook of his elbow while his other hand was on the back of Yates’ head. Yates choked and struggled against Johnny’s supernatural strength as Johnny leaned down to whisper in his ear.

“Didn't see me coming, did you? That's because you dropped your guard for a second” he hissed as he continued to keep a tight hold on Yates’ neck.

“I could end this right now, just... snap your neck. Strangle you. You know better than anyone how quickly this can end” he continued, continuing to press Yates’ neck against his arm.

“You know what I figure?” he asked before he let Yates go, allowing him to cough and stumble over to a wall, which Johnny gently pushed him up against, holding him there with his hands gently against his neck.

“What's the hurry? I want you to feel what you made others feel. The pain. The fear. Looking over your shoulder when you eat, take a leak, sleeping with both eyes open. Someone will do to you what you did to Minhee. It's coming” he threatened before he turned and walked away, leaving Yates gasping alone in the cell.

**_CASE CLOSED_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe! Also this will be the last time we see Yates...for now.


	43. Case 7: Twenty-Five Acts - Part 1

It was a calm day as Taeyong, Jaehyun, and Yuta walked into the Special Victim’s Unit.

“Sixteen murders over the 4th of July” Taeyong murmured, shaking his head. Yuta huffed.

“They cut back on the stop-and-searches, people start carrying” he replied. Jaehyun hummed.

“Well, I'm sure it has nothing to do with 20 days in a row over 90 degrees” he murmured just as Donghyuck looked up at them.

“Hey, I know y’all just got in, but we’ve got something” he stated. Taeyong frowned.

“So early?” he asked. Donghyuck nodded.

“Apparently” he replied. 

“Where’s the victim?” Jaehyun asked.

“Hospital” Donghyuck replied. Taeyong and Jaehyun nodded.

“Alright, we’ll go check it out” Taeyong declared before he and Jaehyun turned and promptly walked back out of the unit while Yuta headed over to his desk.

~*~*~*~*~

When Jaehyun and Taeyong arrived at the hospital, they were greeted by a middle-aged woman.

“Sara Palermo. Jocelyn Paley's book tour escort” she introduced. Taeyong nodded.

“Right. You called 911” he stated. Sara nodded.

“I went to her hotel to take her to a radio show. She was crying; there was blood on her nightgown” she explained. Jaehyun nodded and quickly took out a notepad, writing down the woman’s words.

“Okay, did she tell you what happened?” he asked, looking up from his notepad.

“She keeps saying nothing happened, but she has bruises and a mark on her neck” Sara replied.

“Okay, and when's the last time you saw her…before all of that?” Taeyong asked, raising an eyebrow.

“She had a taping yesterday. Adam Cain” Sara answered. Jaehyun nodded.

“The talk show host” he replied. Sara nodded.

“He asked her out after; she was sky high. Today not a word. What's that sound like to you?” she asked, looking at the two men. Taeyong and Jaehyun glanced at one another before they sighed.

“We’re not going to jump to any conclusions yet, Ms. Palermo. But we will talk to her and get her side of the story” Taeyong stated. Sara nodded before she motioned for Taeyong and Jaehyun to follow her to where Jocelyn was.

~*~*~*~*~

“I wasn't raped. I didn't ask her to call the police” Jocelyn exclaimed after Taeyong and Jaehyun explained to her while they were there. Jaehyun nodded.

“Okay, but there's paperwork. Can you just confirm that you were on a date with Mr. Cain?” he asked. Jocelyn nodded.

“Just for drinks, then his place” she replied as Taeyong studied her neck.

“That bruise on your neck. That from him?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at her. Jocelyn nodded slightly.

“He got a little handsy” she replied. Taeyong shook his head.

“That…looks more like a belt did it” he stated. Jaehyun raised an eyebrow.

“Did you ask him to do that to you?” he asked. Jocelyn looked between the two men before shaking her head.

“No, but I think he thought it was part of the sex” she replied. 

“So you did have sex” Taeyong deadpanned. Jocelyn nodded shakily.

“He—he put it inside me, but not where I was used to” she explained softly. Jaehyun nodded slowly in understanding.

“Did you tell him to stop?” he asked. 

“I tried. He pulled the belt so tight, I couldn't talk” Jocelyn answered. Jaehyun and Taeyong glanced at one another before they looked back at Jocelyn, who looked at them with wide eyes.

“I-I had been flirting with him all night. I told him I wanted him to dominate me. I don't see how I can call that rape” she explained. Taeyong sighed and placed his hands on his hips.

“Okay, well, we don't have to decide that right now. But in the meantime you should do a rape kit. Just in case” he advised. Jocelyn shook her head.

“I won't need it” she argued. Jaehyun crossed his arms as he looked at her.

“Did he use a condom?” he asked. Jocelyn looked over at him and from the look on her face, Taeyong and Jaehyun presumed he didn’t.

“Honey, you're gonna need to get tested for STDs” Jaehyun murmured. Jocelyn blinked before she nodded, agreeing to Jaehyun’s idea. After they had talked to her, Taeyong and Jaehyun walked out of the room and down the halls of the hospital, talking quietly.

“Scaring someone into getting a rape kit? Sometimes it's better to build trust” Taeyong murmured, glancing over at his husband. Jaehyun shook his head as they continued walking.

“It's not gonna matter either way” he muttered before he glanced back at Taeyong.

“Have you read her book?” he asked. Taeyong shook his head.

“No, why?” he asked. Jaehyun sighed.

“Well, according to act five, the main character is choked with a belt and sodomized. She has, like, 18 orgasms” he explained. Taeyong raised an eyebrow.

“Have you read this book?” he asked. Jaehyun shook his head.

“No. But I have heard about it” he replied. Taeyong frowned.

“It’s sounds very…uh…graphic” he mused. Jaehyun nodded.

“From what he’s told me? It is” he replied as they headed back to the APD.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	44. Case 7: Twenty-Five Acts - Part 2

When they returned to the APD, Taeyong ordered everyone into the conference room before he turned on the department’s television and put on the recording of Jocelyn’s interview on “Raising Cain”.

_“And for you personally, how are you dealing with all this attention?”_ Cain asked.

_“My life feels a little out of control”_ Jocelyn answered. 

_“Some discipline might help. Or hurt”_ Cain stated.

_“Ideally, both”_ Jocelyn replied. Cain smiled before he turned towards the tv camera.

 _“Well, stay with us, Asmaye. We'll be right back after this break. Or maybe we won't”_ he declared. Taeyong then paused the recording, sighing.

“She's giving as good as she gets here” Donghyuck mused.

“But it turned ugly when they were alone” Jaehyun argued. Donghyuck frowned as he looked over at Jaehyun.

“She's not claiming rape, but she agreed to a rape kit?” she asked, confused. Taeyong sighed.

“Well, reluctantly. She has anal fissures and a severe ligature mark on her neck” he explained.

“She didn't press charges?” Sicheng exclaimed. Jaehyun shook his head.

“No, she's worried, you know, because of her book” he explained. Yuta hummed in agreement.

“Her prose is pretty florid, although I admire any author who can work in nipple clamps and Albinoni's Adagio in one sentence” he mused. Jaehyun and Taeyong looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

“You read this?” Jaehyun asked, waving his hand to summon Jocelyn’s book. Yuta shrugged.

“I was bored and I wanted to see what the hell we were dealing with” he explained before he sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

“If she's not pressing charges, why are we wasting our time?” he asked. Taeyong looked over at him and sighed.

“Victims sometimes take time to process. She said stop. He tightened the belt. He probably thought that, given her book, that he could get away with it” he explained. 

“And there are rumors about this guy. I mean, he's forward with his female guests, especially the hot ones, and you know what? There's a possibility that he crossed the line with a few of his interns” Jaehyun added. 

“Hold on. Cain may be a ladies' man, but he is one of the good guys” Sicheng argued.

“We've seen him at benefits. Police widows, battered women. He never says no” Yuta added. Taeyong shook his head.

“You mean he never hears no” he argued. Donghyuck hummed.

“I suppose” he replied. Taeyong nodded before he looked at Donghyuck.

“I want you to pay Cain a friendly visit before charges, before he lawyers up. Jaehyun and I will check and see if Jocelyn's had time to process” he declared before he looked over at Yuta and Sicheng.

“You two follow up on the rumor of Cain and his interns. If he did do what she says, he's done it before” he stated. Yuta and Sicheng nodded.

“You got it boss” Yuta replied, he and Sicheng heading back to their desks while Taeyong, Jaehyun, and Donghyuck headed out. 

~*~*~*~*~

At Cain’s studio, Donghyuck walked in to see Cain arguing with his screen writer before sending him away.

“Adam Cain” he called out as he walked into the station. Cain turned and raised an eyebrow at him.

“Can I help you?” he asked. Donghyuck held up his badge.

“Detective Lee Donghyuck. I wanted to speak to you about Jocelyn Paley. She was a guest on your show last night” he stated. Cain nodded.

“Yeah, that's right. Why?” he asked.

“You two went out to dinner after?” Donghyuck asked, putting his hands on his hips. Cain frowned as he looked at him.

“Come on, Detective. Don't sandbag me. Is Jocelyn okay? Something happen?” he asked. Donghyuck nodded.

“She may have been assaulted” he explained. Cain’s eyes widened.

“Oh, my God. I put her in a car service last night at 1:00. She seemed fine. Just a little tipsy, but was it the driver?” he asked. Donghyuck frowned.

“Nothing rough between you two?” he asked. Cain looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

“Seriously? What did she say?” he demanded.

“Why don't you tell us your side?” Donghyuck replied, crossing his arms. Cain let out a laugh and shook his head.

“Oh, jeez. You know her book, right? Well, we acted out a few scenes. She wanted me to throw her down and take control” he explained.

“Whose idea was the belt?” Donghyuck asked. Cain looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

“That? That was hers” he replied. Donghyuck frowned.

“You said you were in control” he reminded. Cain scoffed and rolled his eyes.

“Everything that happened between us was consensual” he explained before he smiled, like he was a teenage boy about to tell his friends a huge secret.

“Now, look, I don't wanna kiss and tell, but she gave me her panties in the restaurant. She was all over me” he stated. He then clapped his hands, looking at Donghyuck.

“Now I know you got better things to do. I know I do. I got a show to prep. I'll see you later” he bid as he turned away. Donghyuck was quiet before he turned and began to head back the way he came.

 _‘No charges filed, and I hate this case already’_ he thought to himself. As he was walking away, Cain stopped walking and turned to face him.

“Detective Lee” he called out, making Donghyuck stop.

“Yes, Mr. Cain?” he replied, turning to face the man. Cain smiled as he looked at him.

“I just wanted to say that you are a very handsome man. I think you’d make a great partner” he purred before winking. Donghyuck’s eyes widened as his mouth fell open in shock before he shook himself and quickly headed out of the studio, heading back to the department, trying to forget what had just happened.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, Taeyong and Jaehyun went to go talk to Jocelyn, who was signing more of her books in a store that sold intimate women things.

“Jocelyn” Taeyong stated as he and Jaehyun walked up to the woman signing books for other women.

“Uh, I'm a little busy” Jocelyn replied, glancing back at Sue, who smiled slightly at Taeyong and Jaehyun.

“We won't take up much time” Taeyong assured. Jocelyn looked back at Sara before she sighed and stood up from the desk and walked over to a private corner, Taeyong and Jaehyun following after her.

“How you feeling?” Taeyong asked. 

“Long day” Jocelyn replied before she looked at the two men.

“I'm fine” she assured. Jaehyun shook his head.

“Jocelyn, you had some pretty serious injuries. You may wanna take it easy” he suggested. Jocelyn shook her head.

“They gave me Tylenol and codeine. I'm a happy camper” she replied.

“Okay, from your reaction, it sounds like you may be in shock” Taeyong stated.

“I'm in the middle of a ten-city book tour. Anthracite Magazine is throwing me a party tonight. The last thing I need to do is deal with this now” Jocelyn muttered.

“Okay, listen, honey, later on, if you do decide to press charges, this behavior is gonna make a jury think twice. You understand? It's screwed up, but that's the truth” Jaehyun snapped, trying not to get angry.

“I'm a big girl” Jocelyn replied before she motioned to the line of women.

“Everyone's waiting” she stated. As she made to move back to the table, Taeyong held out a hand to stop her.

“If you need us, will you call?” he asked, holding out his card. Jocelyn nodded and took the card before she walked back to her seat and sat down, a fake smile plastered on her face.

“All right! Who's next?” she asked as another woman took a step forward, holding out a book for Jocelyn to sign. Taeyong and Jaehyun watched her for a moment before they sighed and decided to head back to the station, before heading home for the evening.

~*~*~*~*~

That evening, Taeyong and Jaehyun were relaxing on the couch when there was a knock on the door. Taeyong and Jaehyun looked at one another before Taeyong got up and headed over to the door, opening it to reveal Jocelyn, tears streaming down her face.

“Jocelyn! What—” he started when Jocelyn shook her head.

“I’m sorry, I know it’s late but I couldn’t deal with a police station at this moment” she explained. Taeyong shook his head and motioned for her to come inside.

“No, it’s perfectly alright, just…how did you know where I lived?” he asked. Jocelyn blushed.

“I went to the police department and asked one of your detectives. I’m sorry. I would have stayed there but I just…felt safer with you and Jaehyun” she murmured. Jaehyun got up from the couch and his eyes widened when he saw Jocelyn standing in his home before his face softened and he motioned for Jocelyn to sit down on one of the chairs in their dining room. Once they were all siting down, Taeyong and Jaehyun looked at Jocelyn with concern in their eyes.

“What happened?” Taeyong asked gently. Jocelyn took a deep breath before she shook her head.

“He showed up to my party. He wasn't on the list. He—he made a toast” she stammered. Jaehyun frowned.

“Slow down” he ordered, holding up a calming hand.

““He"…you mean Adam Cain?” he asked. Jocelyn nodded.

“I just had to leave. I went into an elevator, and he followed me in. He was so angry. He thought I told the police he raped me” she explained before she looked between Taeyong and Jaehyun.

“Did you tell him I said that?” she asked. Taeyong and Jaehyun looked at other before Taeyong sighed.

“We did send a detective to talk to him” he admitted. Jocelyn looked at him with wide eyes.

“Why would you do that?” she exclaimed before she pointed at the captain and lieutenant.

“This is all your fault!” she screamed. Jaehyun held up both hands, trying to quiet her.

“I know how upsetting this is” he soothed before he took a deep breath.

“I need you to tell us exactly what he did, okay?” he ordered. Jocelyn nodded before she sniffed.

“He—he pulled up my skirt. God he did it again” she whimpered. Taeyong and Jaehyun raised an eyebrow.

“He raped you?” Taeyong asked. 

“He—he said I wanted it like I wanted it last night” Jocelyn stammered. Jaehyun frowned.

“And what did you say?” he asked. Jocelyn shook her head.

“I didn't say anything. I just froze” she replied. Taeyong nodded slowly.

“Okay, that's not unusual” he murmured.

“When the elevator landed, he said, _"If you screw with me, you'll be sorry”_ ” Jocelyn whimpered. Taeyong and Jaehyun looked at one another before Jaehyun sighed.

“Jocelyn, are you ready to press charges now?” he asked. Jocelyn looked at both men before she nodded. Taeyong and Jaehyun nodded as well.

“Okay” Taeyong agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	45. Case 7: Twenty-Five Acts - Part 3

The next day at the APD, Donghyuck was going through the elevator camera, watching as Cain assaulted and raped Jocelyn. He then tsked after he paused the video.

“It's pretty brazen. He must have known that there were security cameras” he muttered.

“He also probably knows it's act nine of the book – elevator sex” Sicheng added. Donghyuck, Yuta, Taeyong, and Jaehyun looked over at him and raised an eyebrow, making him sigh.

“Read the masterpiece last night. Wanted to see what we were dealing with” he explained as Jaehyun looked over at the camera video.

“It doesn't look like she's enjoying it” he mused. Yuta shook his head.

“Doesn't look like she's resisting either” he replied. Donghyuck sighed.

“Well, that's called tonic immobility” he explained.

“She was traumatized from the night before. He goes after her again. Now everybody knows fight or flight. But there is a third response, and that's you freeze” Taeyong continued. Yuta huffed.

“Good luck trying to sell that to a jury” he grumbled under his breath before he looked up at his bosses.

“So Jocelyn ready to press charges?” he asked. Taeyong nodded.

“We’re ready to go to the DA” he answered. Donghyuck nodded as well before he stood to his feet.

“Let’s go then” he stated before he stood up and walked out of the office, Jaehyun and Taeyong following after him, Yuta and Sicheng heading back to their desks.

~*~*~*~*~

At the District Attorney’s office, Donghyuck walked straight past all of the other attorneys and headed straight for Mark’s office, knocking on the door before entering.

“Mark!” he called out as he walked inside, holding open the door for Taeyong and Jaehyun. Mark looked up from his paperwork and smiled when he saw Donghyuck.

“Hyuck” he replied before he looked over and raised an eyebrow at Taeyong and Jaehyun.

“Jaehyun, Taeyong. What do I owe the honor?” he asked, placing his pen down before he laced his fingers together. Donghyuck stepped forward and handed him a case file, making him unlace his fingers as he took the file from him, opening it to read the contents. As he perused the contents, he glanced up at Taeyong.

“This girl, she appears credible?” he asked.

“She's concerned about perception, but she was raped twice” Taeyong replied. Mark shook his head.

“I didn't ask if she was raped, I asked if she appears credible” he stated.

“Okay, Mark, we know you have to ask that—” Donghyuck started.

“Reason being we had a case about two months ago, red hook. Guy strangled a girl so hard, her eyes had petechial hemorrhaging. Punk tells the jury they met in a bar, she's into S&M. It's a complete lie. The jury deadlocks. Later we find out that half of them read your victim's book” Mark interrupted. Donghyuck, Taeyong, and Jaehyun frowned before Jaehyun shook his head.

“Okay, I’m confused. We know you as the man who wins cases that everybody else ducks” he stated. Mark smirked.

“Sometimes” he replied before he looked at Taeyong.

“Let me talk to the victim” he ordered. Taeyong sighed.

“She's had a rough couple of days—” he started.

“Captain, if we go forward, it's not gonna get any easier” Mark interrupted, giving him a look. Taeyong sighed before he hung his head.

“Alright, fine. You and Donghyuck can talk to the victim” he declared. Mark nodded before he looked over at Donghyuck.

“Ready, Detective?” he asked. Donghyuck smirked.

“Always, Counselor” he replied. 

~*~*~*~*~

After Mark spoke to Taeyong and Jaehyun, he and Donghyuck waited in his office for Jocelyn to arrive and when she did, Mark began his questioning.

“Did you and Adam Cain have any contact before the show?” he asked.

“No, that was the first time we met” Jocelyn answered.

“And after the show, he asked you out?” Mark continued.

“Yes. I've gone over all of this” Jocelyn exclaimed.

“Yeah, I'm sorry, Jocelyn, but this is all part of the process” Donghyuck explained from where he was leaning against the wall behind Mark’s desk.

“I have to know everything about you – not just you and Cain, but your whole personal history, everything. Because the one thing you decide to leave out is the one thing the defense is going to use to blow up the case. You may not like me when we're done” Mark added, giving Jocelyn a look. Jocelyn narrowed her eyes back at him.

“I don't like you now” she snarled. Mark flashed a smile.

“Honesty. Good” he praised, glancing over at Donghyuck before he stood up from his desk and walked around it to sit on the other side of his desk.

“Let's start with your dating life. You currently seeing anyone?” he asked. Jocelyn shook her head.

“No, I don't have time” she answered. Donghyuck frowned and crossed his arms.

“But you are writing a dating advice column” he stated. Jocelyn shrugged.

“Those who can't do, blog” she answered.

“Ever accused anyone else of rape?” Mark asked. Jocelyn shook her head.

“No” she answered.

“Have you ever been raped before?” Mark continued.

“I just said no” Jocelyn exclaimed softly. Mark shook his head.

“They're not the same thing” he stated before he stood up and began to walk around the room.

“Your dating life in college – tell me all about it” he ordered.

~*~*~*~*~

After speaking to Jocelyn, Mark decided to question Donghyuck next, back at the SVU office.

“Adam Cain’s demeanor was somewhere between…charming and cocky. But he didn’t charm me. He just…creeped me out” Donghyuck explained, a small shiver running up his spine.

“Did he seem like the kind of guy who didn't realize he'd crossed the line?” Mark asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Nah, he knew. The only difference between him and a power assertive rapist is he's got a better vocabulary” Yuta called out as he walked into the conference room.

“What do you mean?” Mark asked, looking at him.

“I did some digging. There's a lot of rumors. He preys on young girls new to the city” he explained. Mark hummed.

“Any of them press charges?” he asked. Yuta shook his head.

“Jocelyn will be the first” he replied. Mark hummed before he nodded.

“Okay. There's no rush. Powerful guy. We go up against him, we move deliberately” he declared. 

“Maybe we do, he doesn't. He decided he was gonna leak his opening monologue for tonight's broadcast, and it is all over the internet” Sicheng declared as he stepped into the conference room. Mark growled.

“Son of a bitch” he hissed as he stood up, Donghyuck standing as well. Yuta headed out first, following after Sicheng, and as Mark made to leave, Donghyuck reached out and grabbed his wrist.

“Mark” he started softly, making him look over at him with concern.

“Hyuck? What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Please tell me you’re going to be able to put this guy away” Donghyuck whispered. Mark blinked in surprise.

“I'll do my best” he promised before he frowned.

“Where's this coming from?” he asked softly. Donghyuck glanced around before he looked over at Mark.

“When we were about to leave the station, he called out to me and told me that I was a very handsome man and that he thought I’d make a great partner. There was just something about the way he said it that just…made my skin crawl. And I’m ashamed to admit it, but I froze for a moment before I shook myself out of it and left” he explained softly, cheeks turning hot and red. Mark was quiet, processing everything that Donghyuck had told him, before he snarled.

“I see. Well, don’t worry, I’ll do everything in my power to make sure that he’s put away” he assured as he reached out with his other hand and placed it on top of Donghyuck’s, giving it a squeeze. Donghyuck looked at him and smiled.

“Thank you” he thanked before he let go of Mark’s wrist, both men walking out of the conference room.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the APD, Mark and the other detectives were sitting in the conference room, watching Cain’s monologue.

_“You hear these stories – powerful men being accused of doing something stupid. Well, now I'm one of those guys. The media “he said, she said” circus is coming to town, and I am about to be thrown into the ring of fire. I'm about to be accused of rape by author Jocelyn Paley. Now, before I'm charged, I just want to make one thing perfectly clear. Unlike a certain former president, I did have sex with that woman. Now, I know it, and she damn well knows it too”_ Cain stated. Donghyuck then paused the recording, making Sicheng sigh.

“Smart move. Got in front of it” he mused.

“Right out of Letterman's playbook” Donghyuck added. Sicheng shook his head.

“That's not fair. Letterman didn't rape anyone” he stated. Jaehyun huffed.

“Just let him keep running his mouth. Like Mark says, we'll take our time, but we'll get him” he assured.

“And in the meantime? He can just use his show as a bully pulpit?” Taeyong snapped, looking at his team. The others looked down in shame while Mark just smirked.

“Cain just forced our hand. We have to strike back” he declared. Taeyong nodded before he looked over at Yuta and Sicheng.

“Find him” he ordered. Yuta and Sicheng nodded before they stood up and left the office, heading out to find Cain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	46. Case 7: Twenty-Five Acts - Part 4

After leaving the APD, Yuta and Sicheng headed to a restaurant that they knew Cain would be dining in. They looked over at the greeter and when they mentioned the name “Cain”, the greeter motioned towards a table at the back of the restaurant. Sicheng and Yuta nodded in thanks before they headed towards the back of the restaurant, stopping before Cain’s table.

“Ready for your close up, Cain? Let's go” Yuta ordered. Cain looked up at them and sighed.

“Look, we don't need to do this here, fellas. I can come in tomorrow with my lawyer” he offered. Sicheng shook his head as he reached out and grabbed Cain by the arm, dragging him out of the booth.

“Come on, stand up, Emmy boy. If you wanted privacy, you shouldn't have mouthed off” he sneered. Cain turned to look at him and smiled.

“Oh, you’re a pretty one. What’s your name?” he asked, reaching up to caress his cheek. Sicheng’s eyes flashed pink in warning.

“You touch me and I’ll break every bone in your hand” he growled. Cain smirked and lowered his hand.

“Alright sweetheart, whatever you say” he purred before he reached behind Sicheng and slapped him on the ass. Sicheng’s eyes widened as did Yuta, however, before Yuta or Cain knew what was happening, Sicheng whirled on Cain and socked him square in the face. The restaurant’s patrons gasped in shock but they weren’t going to report him because they saw what Cain had did and he had every right to get socked. Sicheng then shoved Cain into Yuta’s arms, eyes glowing pink.

**“Cuff him”** he growled. Yuta nodded and quickly cuffed Cain before dragging him towards the entrance of the restaurant, where hordes of paparazzi were waiting.

“Ah!” he exclaimed, lowering his head to avoid the flashes of the camera, but Yuta just grabbed Cain’s hair and yanked his head back.

**“Get your head up, Cain”** he snarled, absolutely pissed; the bastard assaulted Sicheng right in front of him and _no one_ hurt his baby in front of him. Cain barked out a laugh.

“You're right. I've done nothing to be ashamed of” he agreed before he looked towards the cameras.

“This is a joke! APD got so jammed up with their hooker scandal, they'll do anything they can to distract from it!” he exclaimed.

**“You don't know when to shut up!”** Sicheng shouted as he followed Yuta out to the squad car that was there to take Cain away.

“Court of public opinion, baby. It's my wheelhouse” Cain replied as Yuta put him in the back of the squad car.

“Yeah, well taking down rapist? That’s ours” Yuta growled, eyes flashing silver before he slammed the door closed, watching as the car drove away. He then looked back at Sicheng, whose eyes were still green and glowing.

“Baby?” he called out, cautiously walking over to his partner. Sicheng looked over at him, silent yet fuming, making Yuta sigh.

“Oh baby” he murmured, feeling sorry for Sicheng as he gently took him by the arm and led him away from the paparazzi. Once they were a safe distance away, Yuta placed his hands on Sicheng’s shoulders and gripped them gently.

“Baby?” he called again. Sicheng was quiet before his eyes faded back to normal and he blinked.

“Yuta?” he croaked. Yuta smiled as he gave Sicheng’s shoulder a squeeze. 

“There you are. You disappeared on me for a second” he murmured before he frowned.

“What happened back there?” he asked. Sicheng shook his head.

“I don’t know…I don’t know why I hit him when he slapped me on the ass, but I just did. I’m sorry” he croaked. Yuta scoffed and shook his head.

“Why are you apologizing, baby? It was self-defense. He inappropriately touched an officer and he got what he was coming to anyways” he replied. Sicheng looked at him with wide eyes, a little shocked by what the man had said.

“So…Taeyong’s not gonna pull me?” he asked. Yuta huffed.

“Why would he? Cain assaulted you and you retaliated in self-defense. Besides, it’s a crime to assault an officer. If we tell Mark, maybe we can get that added to his charges as well” he suggested. Sicheng hummed.

“Maybe” he murmured. Yuta was quiet before he reached out and gently put his fingers underneath Sicheng’s chin, making him look at him.

“You sure you’re okay, baby?” he asked. Sicheng nodded.

“I’ll be okay” he assured. Yuta nodded.

“Okay. But if you’re not, you’ll tell me or Taeyong or Jaehyun, right?” he asked. Sicheng nodded.

“I promise” he assured. Yuta nodded in agreement.

“Okay” he agreed before he stepped forward and pressed a kiss to Sicheng’s forehead.

“I’m sorry you had to experience that” he whispered. Sicheng huffed.

“Better me than someone else” he murmured.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, at the arraignment court, Mark was doing his thing.

“We request remand. The defendant has the financial means to flee, and he's a Canadian citizen with strong family ties in Vancouver” Mark stated. Cain’s defense attorney, Mina, sighed.

“My client has stated publicly that he is ready to show up at trial and fight these false allegations” she argued. Mark scoffed.

“That public statement was a televised attack on the victim” he growled.

“From his Peabody award-winning political program. This is the state's attempt to control public outrage” Mina exclaimed. Mark rolled his eyes.

“The only thing that needs control is Cain's behavior. He's attacked Jocelyn Paley twice in two nights” he snapped.

“Save it for the trial, counselors. I'm granting remand” the judge declared before he slammed his gavel down. Mina and Cain looked at one another before Cain was led away by an officer.

~*~*~*~*~

After the hearing, Mina shook her head as she, Mark, Taeyong, and Jaehyun walked out of the courtroom.

“So now you're against free speech?” she asked, turning on Mark.

“How about Cain opens his mouth again, I'll move for a gag order?” Mark snarled. Mina snickered.

“From what I read, your witness likes those too” she teased before she walked away. Mark, Taeyong, and Jaehyun watched her walk away before Jaehyun huffed.

“She's a ray of sunshine” he murmured. Mark smirked.

“She’s an old friend. And it was great when she was on our side. That? That was just a warning shot. She’s going to move to have the book admitted” he stated. Jaehyun groaned as he, Taeyong, and Mark headed towards the elevators.

“There goes rape shield” he grumbled. Taeyong huffed.

“Yep. They're gonna find whatever lover inspired the book. He'll testify that she liked it rough from behind. Game over” he declared. Mark huffed.

“Well, it's better if we find the guy first” he murmured.

“I heard Jocelyn went to Silver Spring College in Estral. We can drive down there tomorrow morning” Jaehyun offered. Mark shook his head.

“Try tonight. Once we arraigned Cain, the clock started ticking. Five days to indict or the judge releases him” he declared. Taeyong sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Yeah, and he'll go back on TV and mock Jocelyn every night until she folds. We gotta go now” he growled. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this is why we don't touch things we're not supposed to touch, Cain.
> 
> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	47. Case 7: Twenty-Five Acts - Part 5

After receiving a phone call from Taeyong, Yuta and Sicheng headed down to Estral where Jocelyn’s lover, Brandon White, lived and found him at a soccer field as a coach. When they told him why they were there, he sighed.

“Jocelyn and I were together four years. I thought we were gonna get married” he explained. Sicheng crossed his arms.

“So she broke up with you” he stated. 

“She said it was her, not me. She had so much going on with the book” Brandon continued.

“So she was writing a lot” Yuta mused. Brandon shrugged.

“I guess. She was really secretive about it. I didn't even know she was working on it, to tell you the truth” he admitted. Sicheng frowned.

“So when'd she finally tell you about the book?” he asked. Brandon shook his head.

“She didn't. I borrowed my mom's copy” he replied.

“Did you feel like your privacy was violated?” Yuta asked, raising an eyebrow. Brandon sighed.

“Well, yeah, a lot of people asked me personal questions after” he explained.

“Like are you into rough stuff and domination?” Sicheng offered. Brandon nodded.

“Yeah, except we didn't do any of that. I mean, we mixed it up. Sometimes I was on top. Sometimes she was” he explained. Yuta hummed.

“Do you know any of her other boyfriends?” he asked. Brandon shook his head.

“She told me I was her first” he admitted. Sicheng frowned.

“You believe her?” he asked. Brandon blushed slightly.

“Well, she was my first” he explained. Yuta and Sicheng glanced at one another before they nodded.

“Thank you” Yuta thanked.

“Thanks” Brandon replied before he turned and walked back to his team.

~*~*~*~*~

After speaking to Brandon, Yuta and Sicheng went to meet up with Donghyuck, who Taeyong and Jaehyun also sent down to Estral.

“If Jocelyn was into BDSM, she never talked about it” he stated, coming back from talking to some of Jocelyn’s old roommates.

“Maybe she was with a professor that doesn't want to get called out” Sicheng offered.

“Or she just researched it, like all her other references to Renaissance erotic imagery and sexual awakenings” Yuta argued. Sicheng huffed.

“You can put a diploma on it. Porn is porn” he grumbled. Donghyuck shook his head.

“See, that's the thing; Jocelyn's highbrow references. I read her blogs and her tweets; her idea of a sexual cultural reference is Gilligan's Island” he stated. Sicheng raised an eyebrow as he crossed his arms.

“You mean that Ginger/Mary Ann thing?’” he asked. Donghyuck nodded as Yuta frowned.

“You think she's not showing enough depth in her tweets?” he asked. Sicheng shook his head.

“She didn't research this in the library. She's living a double life. Kinks like this just don't spring up overnight” he stated. Donghyuck nodded.

“You right” he agreed before he looked at the two men.

“Before we head back, can we at least get some coffee?” he asked. Yuta smirked.

“Sure kid” he agreed. Donghyuck grinned, Sicheng and Yuta grinning as well as they all turned and headed off in search of a Starbucks or a café.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, back in Asmyae, Taeyong and Jaehyun were speaking to one of Adam Cain’s old interns.

“Yeah, Adam Cain recommended me. So what?” she asked as they walked down a flight of metal stairs. Taeyong frowned as he and Jaehyun followed after her.

“So you went from being his intern to a producer on a food show in two months. That's pretty fast” he observed.

“He put in a good word” the intern grumbled as she headed over to the control room. Jaehyun raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah? Did you hear that, um, Cain was only allowed male interns after you left?” he asked as he overtook the woman and blocked her from entering. The intern looked at him before she sighed.

“What's that got to do with me?” she demanded.

“Have you forgotten how you had to come into work with a broken wrist, all those bruises on your neck?” Taeyong snapped. The intern’s eyes widened as Taeyong took a deep breath and calmed himself.

“Did you tell anyone?” he asked softly. When the woman didn’t answer, Jaehyun sighed.

“You know, if you keep it locked inside, it doesn't go away” he reminded gently. The intern was quiet before she sighed.

“Look I went home with him. I wanted to have sex with him until he started to hurt me” she murmured. Taeyong nodded in understanding.

“And you asked him to stop” he stated. The intern scoffed.

“So what if I did? I've moved on” she snapped. Jaehyun sighed.

“Emi, by keeping quiet, you're giving him power over you” he stated softly.

“Better than that monologue he did about Jocelyn Paley. I don’t need that” Emi sneered. Taeyong and Jaehyun both raised an eyebrow at her, making her sigh.

“He's not really a bad guy. It's just when he gets that belt in his hands, he loses it” she murmured before she shook her head and walked away. As she walked away, Taeyong frowned and looked over at Jaehyun

“She said belt right?” he asked. Jaehyun sighed.

“Seems like Cain has done this before” he murmured before they walked out of the television station.

~*~*~*~*~

Back in Estral, after Yuta, Sicheng, and Donghyuck had had their coffee, they decided to head over to Jocelyn’s old college and talk to her old advisor.

“She was in my 15th Century Italian Literature class. I was her advisor” the woman, Professor Kathleen Dobson, stated.

“So you were close” Sicheng mused.

“Have you read her book?” Yuta asked. Professor Dobson shrugged.

“I overheard faculty talk about it” she replied. Donghyuck hummed.

“Well, Jocelyn seems pretty, uh, unsophisticated for that world” he explained while Yuta crossed his arms.

“Any idea how she got involved with domination, submission?” he asked. Professor Dobson shook her head.

“I honestly couldn't say” she replied. Sicheng sighed.

“Well, her heroine gets dominated by an older man. Any professors here who might have inspired that story?” he asked. Professor Dobson smirked.

“Ten years ago, yes. But these days?” she replied. Donghyuck nodded.

“We hear you. Thanks for your time” he stated, motioning for Yuta and Sicheng to follow him out of the office when he stopped and noticed the very pretty piano in Professor Dobson’s office.

“That's a pretty fancy piano” he mused. Professor Dobson smiled.

“It's a harpsichord. They say it belonged to Albinoni” she explained. Sicheng raised an eyebrow.

“Albinoni?” he repeated. Professor Dobson nodded.

“Mmhm” she replied. Yuta nodded as well before he smiled.

“Yeah, my partner here loves his, uh, what was that famous piece of his?” he asked. Donghyuck and Sicheng casted him a side glance; where was he going with this?

“His Adagio?” Professor Dobson replied. Yuta smiled.

“Adagio” he agreed. Professor Dobson smiled as well.

“It's beautiful. It's his most well-known work. And funny thing is, it isn't his. His biographer composed it two centuries later” she explained. Yuta let out a huff of a laugh.

“No kidding” he murmured before he thanked the woman and turned to leave, Sicheng and Donghyuck following after him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	48. Case 7: Twenty-Five Acts - Part 6

When Yuta, Sicheng, and Donghyuck returned to the APD, they told Taeyong, Jaehyun, and Mark what they had done.

“We spoke to Jocelyn's boyfriend, teachers, and roommates. The darkest she ever got before this novel was sassy” Sicheng explained. Taeyong hummed.

“So she's been telling us the truth” he mused.

“Any other Cain victims?” Mark asked, looking up from his notes at Taeyong and Jaehyun.

“There's three interns. He broke one of their wrists, but even she won't testify. She insists that Cain’s a good guy except when he has a belt in his hand” Taeyong explained. Mark hummed.

“No witnesses. He said, she said. At least that means he'll take the stand” he mused before he looked over at Yuta, Sicheng, and Donghyuck.

“You couldn’t find the guy who got her into this? What's the problem?” he demanded. Donghyuck sighed.

“Maybe we're asking the wrong question. We might need another day to go back” he stated. Mark shook his head.

“Don't have it. I'm taking Jocelyn to the Grand Jury now” he declared. 

~*~*~*~*~

The next day, in the Grand Jury, Mark began his questioning of Jocelyn.

“I was invited onto Adam Cain's talk show to discuss the book I had written” Jocelyn stated.

“Twenty-Five Acts” Mark replied. 

“Yes” Jocelyn agreed.

“What happened after the show?” Mark asked.

“Adam Cain took me out for drinks, then to his apartment. We were getting intimate, then suddenly he just turned violent” Jocelyn replied.

~*~*~*~*~

After the hearing, Mark walked down the steps as reporters surged towards him.

“All I can say, today's Grand Jury indictment is the first step towards achieving justice for Jocelyn Paley” he stated before any of the reporters could ask him questions.

“The DA's office is desperately trying to distract from their recent scandal with a high-profile case” Mina called out from behind him, making him turn to face his old friend. Mark’s eyes flashed gold.

“Don't give me that. Whether you're a john in the South Bronx or a $3-million-a-year talk show host, no means no” he snarled before he turned and walked down the courthouse steps.

“When the jury compares her accusations with the chapters from her book, this case falls apart like a house of cards” Mina declared before she waved her hand and began to also walk down the courthouse steps.

~*~*~*~*~

That same day, while Mark was at the Grand Jury, Yuta and Sicheng headed back to Estral to talk to Jocelyn’s old professor. When they reached her office, Yuta knocked on her door before entering.

“Sergeant” Professor Dobson exclaimed, looking up from packing her work bag.

“I'm just on my way home” she explained. Yuta smiled and motioned to himself and Sicheng.

“Well, we’ll walk you home” he offered as he walked forward, Sicheng following behind him.

“You know, I spent last night reading your work. You're quite prolific” he stated.

“Academia: Publish or perish” Professor Dobson answered with a smile.

“I like the article you wrote on the ecstasy of St. Teresa” Sicheng added, making Professor Dobson glance up at him.

_“_ _The pain was so great that it made me moan—”_ he began.

_“_ _Over and over and through me into sweet delight”_ Professor Dobson finished, smiling as she finished packing up.

“It’s from her autobiography” she explained. Yuta raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, you taught it in class” he exclaimed as Sicheng waved his hand and summoned Jocelyn’s book, handing it over to Yuta.

“Well, this is from Jocelyn's book, uh… _"The pain was so great, such sweet delight, I moaned over and over”_ he read aloud. Professor Dobson hummed as she headed towards the door, Yuta and Sicheng following after her.

“Didn’t realize she was paying such close attention” she replied. Sicheng hummed as well.

“You know, she's making millions a week. You have a case here for plagiarism” he offered. Professor Dobson shook her head.

“Please, no. Last thing I need is to be associated with a book like that” she spat as she locked her door once she, Yuta, and Sicheng were outside. As she began to walk away, Yuta nodded in realization.

“Oh, well, now I get it” he mused before he followed after Professor Dobson, Sicheng following after him.

“Your antique harpsichord – someone bought it last month at Sotheby's for $285,000” he called out, making Professor Dobson stop, allowing him and Sicheng to overtake her and stand before her. Professor Dobson looked into their eyes, the two men raising an eyebrow at her, making her sigh deeply and turn her head away.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, at the DA’s office, Jocelyn was sitting before Mark and Donghyuck, frowning.

“More questions? Why?” she asked. 

“We're worried the defense is going to produce the man that you based the book on” Mark answered. Jocelyn shook her head.

“I told you, it's fiction” she argued. Donghyuck sighed.

“But, Jocelyn, it's so specific, you must have experimented with submission” he explained. Jocelyn sighed.

“Well, in college” she answered. Donghyuck scoffed.

“Not with Brandon” he stated. Jocelyn looked over at him, in shock, and he smirked.

“Come on, the only knots he's ever tied was when he was in the boy scouts” he sneered. Jocelyn sighed.

“Yeah, not Brandon. Another guy” she agreed.

“Oh, so you cheated on him” Jaehyun asked from where he and Taeyong were standing behind her. Jocelyn looked at him and shook her head.

“What? No” she replied.

“No?” Jaehyun repeated, tilting his head. 

“I did a semester abroad. The character's based on someone I met in the villa. He was into bondage” Jocelyn answered before she looked over at Mark.

“Why does any of this matter?” she demanded.

“Where'd you meet him? A hotel? His home? Do you have his address?” Mark replied. Jocelyn shook her head.

“I don't. What is this, 20 questions?” she exclaimed.

“No, Jocelyn, just one. Who wrote the book?” Taeyong asked calmly. Jocelyn’s eyes widened as she looked over at the Captain.

“You found out? How?” she demanded. Mark chuckled darkly, making her look back at him.

“I told you the first day the one thing you decide not to tell us is the one thing the defense is gonna use to destroy you. What were you thinking?” he snarled, brown eyes glowing gold. Donghyuck sighed as he pushed off from where he was leaning against Mark’s dresser behind his desk and walked over to the prosecutor, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Mark, she gets it” he murmured softly. Jocelyn still looked horrified as she took a deep breath.

“Do they know?” she whispered. Donghyuck shook his head, his hand still on Mark’s shoulder.

“No, but we're gonna have to tell them” he explained. Jocelyn looked at him, eyes widening even more in horror.

“No, n—you can't. You can't tell anyone. It'll ruin my career. My life. Please don't – don't tell anyone” she begged. Mark narrowed his eyes at her but he just sighed as his eyes returned to normal and Donghyuck stepped back as Taeyong and Jaehyun walked over to where Jocelyn was sitting, sitting down in the two other chairs that Mark had in his office. Jaehyun then handed “Jocelyn’s” book over to Mark, who took it with a look of distain on his face.

“It was Professor Dobson’s idea to put my name on the book. She is an academic. She was worried about her reputation” Jocelyn explained. Mark looked up from the book at her and raised an eyebrow.

“And you weren't worried about yours?” he asked. Jocelyn huffed.

“I owe $90,000 in college debt. The year before this I made $2,600 writing. She gave me 10%. I've made connections” she explained. Jaehyun shook his head.

“You were raped” he exclaimed.

“And you lied to the Grand Jury” Mark added. Jocelyn let out a whimper.

“I had to. If I ever say I didn't write the book, I lose all the money” she explained. Donghyuck raised an eyebrow.

“That's part of the book contract?” he asked. Jocelyn nodded.

“Yes” she replied before she looked at Mark.

“I-I wanna drop the charges. I can't testify” she stammered.

“Drop the charges, and your secret's gonna come out anyway when I indict you” Mark snarled, slamming down the book.

“Lying to the Grand Jury? That's a crime” he stated. Jocelyn looked at him in shock.

“You'll indict me?” she exclaimed.

“You don't testify, you're looking at perjury” Mark stated bluntly. Jocelyn shook her head.

“I…I can’t” she choked as she stood up from the chair and ran out of the office. Taeyong and Jaehyun looked at one another before they sighed and stood up, following after her. Once they were gone, Donghyuck looked over at Mark and crossed his arms.

“That was hardball, Mark” he scolded. Mark looked up back at him, brown eyes hard.

“I wasn't playing” he snarled. Donghyuck sighed and shook his head.

“I got that” he grumbled before he looked back at the prosecutor.

“Does this in any way possibly help us?” he demanded. Mark sighed and opened his mouth to respond when Donghyuck shook his head.

“You were worried that the jury was gonna hold the book against her, but she didn't write it, so—” he started.

“—they'll see her as a liar” Mark finished. Donghyuck sighed again and leaned his head back against the wall.

“Jesus” he breathed. Mark raised an eyebrow at him.

“Tired?” he asked. Donghyuck yawned before he nodded.

“Exhausted” he replied. Mark hummed.

“Well, rest up, because I’m gonna need you as co-council tomorrow” he declared. Donghyuck looked at him in shock.

“Are you serious? Mark, I don’t know anything about being co-council. I have no knowledge of the law like you do” he exclaimed. Mark smiled.

“Don’t worry. You’ll be fine” he assured. Donghyuck huffed.

“I hope so” he replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	49. Case 7: Twenty-Five Acts - Part 7

The next day, in the Supreme Court, Donghyuck sat in the co-council seat while Mark interrogated Jocelyn.

“Miss Paley, could you tell the jury why you agreed to say you wrote this book?” Mark asked.

“I had college debt. My parents are working class. We needed the money” Jocelyn answered.

“So you didn't write one word of the book? You're not into being dominant?” Mark asked, raising an eyebrow. Jocelyn shook her head.

“I was playing a role. It's not me” she answered. Mark frowned and crossed his arms.

“But it was you who flirted with the defendant and went home with him that night” he rProfessor Dobsonnded. Jocelyn sighed.

“It all seemed glamorous at first. He was charming. I wanted to have sex, until he started hurting me” she explained. Mark uncrossed his arms and placed his hands on his hips.

“And what did you do then?” he asked.

“I asked him to stop” Jocelyn answered. 

“Did he?” Mark asked, raising an eyebrow. Jocelyn opened her mouth as Mark turned and looked over at the defendant, Adam Cain.

“Did he?” he repeated. When Jocelyn didn’t answer, Mark turned back to her and nodded his head.

“I know this is difficult” he soothed. Jocelyn sighed and shook her head.

“No, he did not. He forced himself inside me, choked me with his belt. I couldn't talk. The more I cried, the more he hu—hurt me” she testified. Mark nodded slowly.

“And the next night, Miss Paley, what happened then?” he asked, turning to look at the jury.

“Adam Cain stalked me at a magazine party, trapped me in an elevator, and raped me again” Jocelyn answered. Mark said nothing as he turned to face her.

“Can you tell the jury what consequences you face for telling the truth here today?” he asked. Jocelyn sighed.

“I have to return all of my royalties. My reputation is ruined. I've wanted to write my whole life” she answered, looking at Mark, who inclined his head towards her.

“Thank you, Miss Paley” he thanked, walking back to his bench as Mina stood up and walked over to the witness stand.

“How many times have you lied about writing the book Twenty-Five Acts?” she asked. Jocelyn shook her head.

“I'm not sure” she answered. Mina crossed her arms.

“You lied when you consented to have your name on the cover” she stated. Jocelyn nodded.

“Yes” she answered.

“And you lied at speaking engagements, parties, and interviews in over ten cities on your book tour” Mina continued.

“Yes” Jocelyn replied.

“And you lied on Mr. Cain's TV show?” Mina inquired, turning to point to her client. She then turned back to Jocelyn and held up a hand.

“Before you answer that, Miss Paley – defense exhibit 12, Your Honor” she stated, pointing to the TV screen behind the court transcriber.

_“So, Jocelyn, tell me, why do women want to be dominated?”_ Cain asked on the screen.

 _“Women do it all these days. Career, kids. Sometimes they just want a man to throw them down and take control”_ Jocelyn answered.

_“And is this your personal fantasy?”_ Cain asked.

_“My fantasy being here with you”_ Jocelyn replied with a smile. Mina then paused the tape and looked back at Jocelyn.

“Was what we just saw a lie too?” she asked. Jocelyn sucked in a deep breath.

“I was playing a part, flirting” she answered.

“Playing a role for publicity, money” Mina stated. Jocelyn nodded.

“Yes” she answered. Mina then walked over to her and placed her hands on her hips.

“What else would you do for money? Lie about rape? Sue my client?” she demanded. Jocelyn’s eyes widened and she shook her head.

“No, I would never do that” she exclaimed. Mina raised an eyebrow.

“You wouldn't lie about sex for money?” she asked. Jocelyn shook her head.

“No” she replied. Mina then gave her a look.

“But you have lied about sex for money in the past” she stated. Jocelyn took a shuddering breath.

“I'm telling the truth now” she replied. Mina nodded slowly.

“I see. And how do you expect the jury to tell the difference?” she asked. Mark and Donghyuck both opened their mouth to object when Mina turned away.

“Withdrawn” she declared.

~*~*~*~*~

After giving her testimony, Jocelyn walked over to one of the courthouse windows, her entire body full of shock. Taeyong and Jaehyun followed after her, each man taking her side, almost like bodyguards.

“I knew this would happen” she whispered. Jaehyun shook his head.

“You told them what he did to you. You confronted him. No one can take that away from you” he murmured, assuring her that what she did was right.

“That was brutal” Donghyuck exclaimed as he and Mark walked out of the courtroom over to Jaehyun, Taeyong, and Jocelyn.

“We've got one hail Mary” Mark murmured. When Donghyuck raised an eyebrow at him, Mark sighed.

“Professor Dobson, I can use her to rehabilitate” he explained. Donghyuck blinked in surprise.

“She agreed to come?” he asked. Mark smirked.

“Sure, after I subpoenaed her” he replied. Donghyuck blinked once more before he chuckled and shook his head.

~*~*~*~*~

After the fifteen recess, Mark questioned Professor Kathleen Dobson, who came in right before the recess was over.

“Professor Dobson, did you write Twenty-Five Acts?” he asked. Professor Dobson sighed and nodded.

“Yes. I'm afraid so. The entire book” she answered. Mark hummed and crossed his arms.

“And who, uh, who decided to put Jocelyn Paley on the cover?” he asked. 

“I did. I knew that talk show hosts wouldn't want to discuss my sexual fantasies” Professor Dobson answered. Mark hummed again and nodded slowly.

“So these fantasies in the book, these are your fantasies, not Jocelyn's” he mused. Professor Dobson nodded.

“Yes, all of them” she answered.

“Before Jocelyn agreed to help you, did she know the subject matter?” Mark asked, raising an eyebrow. Professor Dobson shook her head.

“Hardly. When she read the draft, she was shocked. That's when I knew she'd be the perfect front” she explained. Mark frowned and tilted his head to the side.

“Why was that?” he asked.

“She was a sweet girl. And the contrast between her innocence and the book's intense sexuality was compelling” Professor Dobson explained.

“Has it been hard for you to out yourself?” Mark asked, crossing his arms.

“In my world, I'm between a pariah and a laughingstock. That's why I wanted to use Jocelyn's name” Professor Dobson answered before she looked over at Adam Cain with narrowed eyes.

“But to think that someone would ascribe my fantasies to her and use that as a smokescreen for assault, well, it sickens me” she spat. Mark nodded and headed back to his desk as Mina stood up.

“About those fantasies in your book – did anyone else know that Jocelyn Paley wasn't the real author?” she asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

“No” Professor Dobson replied, shaking her head.

“So the rest of the world, including Mr. Cain, believed the book was based on Jocelyn Paley's fantasies?” Mina asked.

“I suppose so” Professor Dobson answered.

“That she was the one who fantasized about being dominated, having rough sex, having sex in an elevator?” Mina continued.

“Yes” Professor Dobson answered.

“And you chose Miss Paley because she was a sweet, innocent girl?” Mina asked.

“Yes” Professor Dobson replied. Mina hummed.

“You're a college professor. You must see a lot of sweet, innocent girls” she mused. Professor Dobson shook her head.

“Not as many as you'd think” she replied. Mina placed her hands on her hips.

“What made Jocelyn Paley the right choice?” she asked. Professor Dobson sighed.

“As I said, it was the contrast between her innocence and the subject matter” she replied. Mina hummed and gave her a look.

“Or was it because she's a good liar? Didn't you choose Jocelyn Paley because she is a convincing enough liar to sell 5 million copies of a book about a fetishistic world that she claims to know nothing about?” she sneered. Mark quickly stood up.

“Objection!” he called out. Mina sighed.

“Withdrawn” she answered, walking back to her desk.

~*~*~*~*~

After Professor Professor gave her testimony, Adam Cain was put on the stand.

“Did you rape Miss Paley?” Mina asked as she stood up and walked over to the stand.

“I don't need to rape anyone, thank you. I do fine with volunteers” Cain answered. Mina hummed.

“So you've had a lot of girlfriends” she deduced. Cain nodded.

“My fair share” he answered before he chuckled softly.

“It helps to have a hit TV show, plus I've been told that my – my company isn't entirely unpleasant” he explained, looking into the audience, making eye contact with Donghyuck then Sicheng. Both men shuddered but refused to break eye contact with him, to show him that he couldn’t scare them.

“Have you ever played the dominant role in sexual games?” Mina asked, drawing Cain’s attention away from Donghyuck and Sicheng and back to her. He then shrugged.

“I follow my partner's lead. If that's their pleasure, I'm glad to oblige” he answered.

“What was Miss Paley's pleasure?” Mina asked, raising an eyebrow.

“A mutually satisfactory rough sex game initiated by her. Her false accusation is unfortunate. It smears real victims of rape who may not be believed” Cain answered. Mark growled from where he was sitting next to Donghyuck.

“Move to strike” he called out.

“Just answer the questions, Mr. Cain” the judge ordered. Mina then turned on her heels and headed back to her bench.

“Nothing further, Your Honor” she declared. Mark then stood up when the judge held up a hand.

“It’s late, Mr. Lee” she stated. Mark smiled slightly.

“How about a half-hour now and then we can—” he started. The judge smirked.

“Nice try. We're adjourned” she stated, slamming her gavel down.

~*~*~*~*~

That evening, Mark and the rest of the APD detectives headed to his office.

“The professor didn't help us” Taeyong grumbled as he and the others walked into Mark’s office.

“I'm calling it a draw” Mark replied. Jaehyun huffed and rolled his eyes.

“So you're an optimist” he mused. Mark shook his head.

“Stubborn” he replied as Donghyuck walked in, making him smile.

“Ah, the cavalry” he declared. Donghyuck shook his head.

“No luck. All three of his past victims have magically disappeared. We can't get into any of Cain's prior bad acts” he replied. Mark hummed as he took off his suit jacket and placed it on the back of one of the chairs in his office.

“Maybe we can get him to open the door” he murmured. Jaehyun, Taeyong, Sicheng, Yuta and Donghyuck all looked at him with raised eyebrows before they sighed. He was the lawyer, not them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	50. Case 7: Twenty-Five Acts - CASE CLOSED

The next day, Mark was questioning Adam Cain, since he wasn’t allowed to do that in yesterday’s trial.

“Jocelyn and I? There was a lot of heat. It was exciting” Cain answered after Mark asked him about his relationship with Jocelyn. Mark pursed his lips.

“She remembers it differently” he stated. Cain scoffed.

“She was playing the role of a sexual submissive. Now she's playing victim” he stated. Mark raised an eyebrow and clasped his hands behind his back.

“Pretending to be a sexual submissive?” he asked. Cain sighed.

“She just told us that” he answered. Mark’s eyes widened and he nodded.

“That's right. That's right, that's right” he agreed as he began to walk around the courtroom, hands still clasped behind his back.

“She was inexperienced. But you weren't” he continued.

“Not entirely” Cain argued.

“Mr. Cain, what excites you about having sex with Jocelyn?” Mark asked, turning to look at the man.

“What excites anyone about sex?” Cain replied with a laugh. 

“Was it the belt?” Mark asked, raising an eyebrow. Cain said nothing, allowing Mark to continue.

“The belt that was her idea, even though she was pretending” he explained.

“She wanted to try role play” Cain answered. Mark frowned and tilted his head.

“How do you start something like that?” he asked. Cain frowned as well.

“With the belt?” he asked. Mark nodded.

“Yeah, I mean, do you take your belt off or—” he started. Cain nodded.

“That's right” he replied.

“And you give her a few hits with it?” Mark asked. Cain shrugged.

“She seemed to enjoy it” he replied.

“Then you put the belt around her neck” Mark continued.

“Yes” Cain answered.

“And then you get behind her tighten it” Mark mused.

“Yes, to increase her pleasure” Cain answered before he shook his head.

“I'm not sure what this has to—” he started. Mark held up a hand.

“Just bear with me” he ordered as he walked up to the witness stand.

“Where was the buckle?” he demanded. Cain huffed.

“I don't know if I can be more specific. Would you like me to show you?” he asked. Mark smirked.

“Well, actually—” he started.

“Objection! Your Honor—” Mina started.

“As a regular Joe, I am curious about how this belt-around-the-neck thing is exciting. I am sure, Your Honor, that the jury is curious as well” Mark interrupted, looking over at the judge. The judge sighed.

“I'll allow it. For now” she agreed, giving Mark a look. Mark nodded and walked back to his bench, looking at Donghyuck who was looking back at him with wide eyes.

“Mark, what are you doing?” he hissed. Mark looked at him and smirked.

“Trust me” he whispered back as he took off his belt and turned around.

“So let's go back. You took off your belt” he stated. Cain nodded.

“That's right” he replied. Mark hummed.

“You did it. Not her” he stated. Cain nodded again.

“Correct” he agreed. Mark then looped his belt through the buckle and then placed it around his neck before glancing over at Cain.

“You looped the belt like this” he asked. Cain nodded.

“Something like that” he replied. Mark then walked towards the witness stand, holding the belt loop that he created around his neck.

“You led her to the bed got on top, pulled it” he stated.

“Game she wanted to play” Cain replied bluntly. Mark hummed.

“She's the one who wanted it rough?” he asked. Cain nodded, eyes dead.

“Yes” he replied. 

“But you didn't rape her?” Mark asked, raising an eyebrow. Cain growled.

“No, we've gone over this. What don't you get?” he snapped. Mark snarled, making Cain blink in surprise.

“Oh, I get it. It's the classic mindset of the rapist to admit what you can't deny, deny what you can't admit” he sneered.

“Objection!” Mina called out.

“Withdrawn” Mark replied before he turned around.

“You said that she wanted it rough, so show me how she likes it” he ordered. Cain blinked and looked over at the judge in shock while Mark just jiggled the belt around his neck.

“Show me, show me. Let me see how she liked it” he egged. 

“Objection!” Mina exclaimed. The judge narrowed her eyes at Mark.

“Let's proceed cautiously, Mr. Lee” she advised. Mark nodded before he jiggled the belt again.

“Alright, take the belt in your hands, Mr. Cain” he ordered. Cain shook his head before he reached out and took the long part of the belt in his hands.

“Feel the leather? Hold the belt” he ordered. Cain swallowed as he tightened his grip on the belt while Mark just smiled.

“Now, show me how you pulled on the belt” he ordered. Meanwhile, Donghyuck and the rest of the APD detectives were looking at him as if he was a madman, which in this case, he was. Donghyuck then glanced over at Mina and noticed that she looked just as horrified as he felt, which he found comforting, because it showed just how much Mina cared about her old friend, even though they were on opposite sides. 

“Show me how you pulled the belt” Mark ordered, making everyone look back at him and Mr. Cain. Cain pulled the belt a little and Mark scoffed.

“You can do better than that” he sneered. Cain narrowed his eyes before he pulled again, making Mark lean back a little before he scoffed again.

“You call that being dominant? Show me. Show me! Show me, pull it! Pull it. Pull it! Tell me how you like it! Show me how you like it, Mr. Cain!” he nagged and while he couldn’t see it, the rest of the audience could tell that Mark’s nagging was starting to grate on Cain’s nerves.

“Come on, pull it, pull it!” Mark shouted, making Cain stand up and grip Mark’s shoulder as he yanked hard on the belt, making Mark choke and gag.

“Like this!” he snarled, eyes burning.

“Mark!” Donghyuck and Mina shouted at the same time as they stood up, absolutely horrified and scared for the man’s life.

“Alright, that is enough, Mr. Lee!” the judge exclaimed. Cain then released the belt, allowing Mark to stagger forward as he coughed harshly and sucked in deep breaths after every cough, trying to get some air back into his lungs. Donghyuck immediately stood up and walked over to him, grasping his arm tightly as he led him back over to the bench, leaning him up against it as he quickly removed the belt from his neck.

“You idiot, you fucking idiot!” he hissed as he checked the man over. Mina ran away from the defense’s bench and over to Donghyuck’s side, looking Mark up and down.

“Are you alright?” she demanded. Mark nodded and motioned to his neck.

“Not a mark. Not a mark” he assured as he reached back and opened his file, pulling out a photograph of Jocelyn’s neck, which was covered in bruise marks. He then gently pushed Donghyuck and Mina away and held out the photo to the jury.

“People's exhibit 20. Jocelyn Paley’s neck after their consensual sex game” he declared. Donghyuck’s eyes widened as did Mina’s before she walked back over to the defense bench, now glaring at Adam Cain for hurting Mark, even though he said he wasn’t hurt. Mark then turned to face Cain, cocking an eyebrow.

“Is this what excites you about sex, Mr. Cain? Hurting your victims?” he asked. 

“She liked it like that” Cain replied, eyes cold and hard. Mark tilted his head to the side.

“You mean Jocelyn?” he asked. Cain nodded. Mark scoffed and shook his head as he walked towards Cain.

“You liked it like that” he stated before he pointed back to Jocelyn, who was sitting in the audience.

“She didn't” he snarled before he walked back to his bench and placed the photo down.

~*~*~*~*~

After the trial, Donghyuck immediately took Mark to a clinic to get looked at, just to be safe, while the others headed back to APD. While they waited for Donghyuck and Mark to return, they began to work on some reports when Donghyuck and Mark finally came back, Mark looking a little cowed, which meant to the rest of the detectives that Donghyuck basically chewed him out for pulling such a risky and stupid stunt in the courtroom.

“Hey Counselor. Feeling better?” Yuta asked, looking over at the man. Mark smiled slightly and nodded.

“Yes, Sergeant, I’m doing fine. _I’m perfectly fine_ ” he assured, shooting Donghyuck a look. Donghyuck narrowed his eyes at him before he huffed and shook his head.

“Idiot” he grumbled as Taeyong huffed.

“Haechan has every right to be a little pissed with you, Mark. You scared all of us with that little stunt you pulled. Even Mina ran over from the defense bench to check on you” he stated, giving the prosecutor a look. Mark sighed.

“Yes, it was risky, but hopefully the jury saw what kind of a man he was and has decided to put him away for good” he replied. Just then, his phone trilled and he pulled it out, looking at the message on it.

“Ah! Jury's in. They've reached a verdict” he declared. Taeyong nodded, looking around at the other detectives.

“Let’s go” he ordered.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at court, everyone in the court sat silently waiting for jury’s verdict.

“On the charge of rape in the first degree, how do you find?” the judge asked.

“We find the defendant Adam Cain: guilty” the speaker woman of the jury declared. Everyone in the audience let out a breaths of relief while the judge looked over at the bailiff.

“Bailiff take the defendant into custody” she ordered. Adam Cain looked shock, like he couldn’t believe that they had found him guilty, while Donghyuck, Mark, the rest of the APD, and even Mina looked over at him with smirks on their faces. They were happy that the son of a bitch was going away for a long time. After the trial was over, Mark and Donghyuck walked out of the courthouse and down the stairs to meet with Taeyong, Yuta, Jaehyun, Sicheng, and Jocelyn who were waiting for them.

“Congratulations, Counselor” Sicheng congratulated. Mark smirked in reply.

“Good jury. They looked past Cain's image, saw him for who he really is” he stated. The APD detectives nodded while Jocelyn looked over at him.

“You told me I wouldn't like you when this was over. You were right. What do I do now? My reputation's—” she started when Donghyuck chuckled softly, making her look over at him. 

“What’s so funny, detective?” she snapped. Donghyuck shook his head before he smiled kindly at her.

“Thing about this country…it loves a comeback” he stated kindly. Jocelyn blinked in surprise before she huffed and smiled slightly.

“Alright” she agreed. Just then, Mina walked out of the courthouse and over to Mark and the others, a look on her face. Donghyuck noticed her and gave Mark a small nudge, motioning to her with his head. Mark looked over and when he saw her, he furrowed his brows and hung his head before he looked up at Taeyong and the other detectives.

“Excuse me detectives” he bid before he looked over at Donghyuck.

“Wait for me?” he asked. Donghyuck nodded.

“Of course” he replied. Mark nodded and went over to talk to Mina while Taeyong looked over at the others.

“Let’s go” he ordered. Jaehyun, Yuta, and Sicheng nodded and headed down the courthouse stairs, Taeyong glancing behind at Donghyuck.

“See you later Haechan” he bid. Donghyuck nodded goodbye to them, making Taeyong smirk before he followed after his husband and the others.

~*~*~*~*~

While they walked away, Donghyuck looked over at Mark, who was now talking to Mina.

“Are you sure you’re alright, Mark?” Mina demanded, eyeing Mark up and down. Mark huffed and rolled his eyes.

“I’m fine. Donghyuck took me to a clinic to make sure that Cain didn’t do any serious damage” he answered. Mina hummed before she fixed Mark with a look.

“You can’t do things like that again, Mark” she instructed. Mark sighed deeply as well.

“Alright. I won’t” he promised. Mina then smirked.

“Besides, I don’t think that detective of yours will be too pleased if you put your life on the line again” she teased. Mark blushed before glancing over his shoulder at Donghyuck, who was looking away from the friends speaking, giving them privacy.

“Yes, I don’t think he would be too pleased” he agreed softly. Mina chuckled and shook her head.

“He seems good for you” she mused before she looked into Mark’s eyes, her eyes flashing slightly.

“Don’t mess it up” she growled before she smiled and leaned in, pressing a kiss to Mark’s cheek before she turned and walked away. Mark’s lip turned up in a smile before he turned and headed back towards Donghyuck, who was still waiting patiently for him.

“Ready to go?” he asked. Mark nodded.

“Of course. Dinner?” he asked. Donghyuck smiled.

“Starving” he replied.

**_CASE CLOSED_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	51. Case 8: Monster's Legacy - Part 1

It was a late night as a young boy was practicing the moves that he would use on a pommel horse when he jumped back off the practice stool and clutched at his leg, hissing in pain.

“Ah! It hurts, Coach” he exclaimed. The coach huffed and uncrossed his arms, walking over to the young boy.

“It's just a cramp. Hold it, let me see. Let me work on it” he instructed, pulling the boy over to him before lifting his leg, stretching it out. Meanwhile, at the door, a janitor was watching, first looking at the coach with the young boy before looking over to see a video camera pointed at them.

“Loosen up a little bit, come on. Relax. You can't perform when you're tense. All right? Loosen up a little bit, come on!” he instructed, smacking the boy’s leg. As he was working, the janitor stepped into the room and began cleaning it, making the coach look up.

“Hey! Can't that wait?” he snapped.

“I’ll come back” the janitor replied. The coach nodded.

“Yeah, do that” he sneered. The janitor turned and headed towards the door, glancing over his shoulder repeatedly at the coach and the young boy.

“Alright, we good?” the coach asked, looking at the young boy. The boy nodded, causing the coach to slap the boy on the leg.

“Then back to work. Come on!” he instructed. 

~*~*~*~*~

Later on that night, as the coach was heading home, he didn’t realize he was being followed to his car. As he opened his trunk and put his stuff inside, the mysterious person behind him walked over to him, brandishing an icepick, and repeatedly stabbed him before walking away. The coach cried out in pain before he fell to the floor of the garage, still clutching at his backside.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Jaehyun and Taeyong arrived on scene, Yuta looking over at them.

“Hey. Sorry to probably drag you away from dinner” he apologized. Taeyong waved his hand.

“It’s fine. Who’ve we got?” he asked. Yuta motioned to the man on the gurney.

“This is Alexei Belyakov, boy's gymnastics coach. Stabbed with an ice pick. He bled a lot. Lucky for the vic, EMTs got here quick, or we'd be calling Yangyang” he stated. Jaehyun frowned.

“And this is our case because he was stabbed in a bad place?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. Yuta sighed.

“Uh…both of them” he replied. Taeyong and Jaehyun both made faces before Taeyong huffed.

“Uh, any chance that CSU can get prints on the weapon?” he asked. Yuta shook his head.

“They'll have to wait till the coach gets out of surgery” he replied before he turned and walked away. Taeyong and Jaehyun looked at each other with wide eyes before Jaehyun huffed.

“Well, there goes any chance of sleep” he grumbled.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, when Alexi came out surgery, Jaehyun, Yuta, and Taeyong went to go talk to him.

“Did you see your attacker's face?” Taeyong asked. Alexi shook his head.

“No. I was putting my bag in the trunk. He came from behind, slammed the hood” he explained. Yuta frowned.

“He? You sure it was a man?” he asked. Alexi nodded.

“I'm positive. He had on work gloves, boots. Some kind of olive coverall” he replied. Jaehyun hummed.

“An attack like this, uh, could be revenge” he offered. Taeyong nodded.

“Yeah, maybe something in your personal life?” he added. Alexi shook his head.

“I'm happily married. And I'm on good relations with all of my ex-wives” he explained. Yuta blinked.

“All?” he repeated. 

“Three. I'm a romantic” Alexi replied. Jaehyun nodded slowly.

“You ever been romantic with someone you shouldn't?” he asked. Alexi huffed.

“I learned that lesson four years ago. A student's father accused me of being involved with his wife” he explained. 

“And were you? Did he attack you?” Yuta asked, raising an eyebrow. Alexi shook his head.

“No. He tried to ruin me. In the divorce trial, he accused me of molesting his son. And she accused him. I was a pawn” he explained. Taeyong sighed.

“Any other parents threaten you?” he asked. 

“A student last year; Eddie. I had to cut him. I told his mother I can't spin straw into gold” Alexi replied. Jaehyun crossed his arms.

“And the father?” he asked. Alexi huffed.

“Came in, threw furniture around” he replied. Taeyong hummed before he nodded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!
> 
> Also, I've been meaning to ask y'all this, but I'm currently working on an NCT Mafia story and I need a good title for it. Please leave your suggestions in the comments; it would be really helpful


	52. Case 8: Monster's Legacy - Part 2

“These Russians, they're all liars. Maybe – maybe I kicked a chair” Eddie’s father stated as he worked on his car, Yuta standing nearby.

“You were mad 'cause Alexei cut your son” Yuta mused. Eddie’s father growled.

“He played us. And when he wanted our money, he said Eddie had Olympic potential. Then he charged us a fortune for private lessons” he snarled.

~*~*~*~*~

“I don't want to talk about Coach Alexi” Eddie murmured as he sat at the kitchen table, his mother standing nearby as Sicheng stood before them.

“Well, why not, Eddie? 'Cause he cut you? You know, all that work, private sessions. Can you tell me about those?” he asked. 

“He would practice with me on the bars and help me with my stretching” Eddie replied. Sicheng hummed.

“Stretching. So when he touched you, did that ever make you feel uncomfortable?” Sicheng asked. Eddie frowned.

“Uh, what, like _that_? He wasn't _that way_. Not with me” he explained. Sicheng nodded slowly.

“Was he “that way” with other kids?” he asked. Eddie shook his head.

“I don't know. He had a lot of private sessions” he replied. Sicheng nodded slowly again.

“I see” he murmured.

~*~*~*~*~

“Coach Alexi's not gay” Yuta argued as he stood before Eddie’s father as he sat on the edge of his opened hood. Eddie’s father huffed.

“Maybe not. But he's pretty hands-on” he replied. Yuta raised an eyebrow.

“You saw that?” he asked.

“I heard about it. This guy at the gym, when Eddie got cut, said Eddie was better off away from the coach” Eddie’s father explained. Yuta frowned.

“Another parent?” he inquired. Eddie’s father shook his head.

“Nah, a young guy. Kind of lanky; in a jumpsuit. Probably worked maintenance” he answered. Yuta was quiet before he dipped his head.

“Thanks for your time” he thanked.

~*~*~*~*~

“Johnny Dubeck. Vandalism, possession, disorderly conduct, bar fights. But nothing in the past five years” Donghyuck stated as he walked over to the interrogation table and sat down, Johnny’s file in his hand. Johnny shrugged.

“Straightened myself out” he replied. Donghyuck huffed.

“Till last night. Alexi almost bled out; you could have killed him” he snapped. Johnny shook his head.

“Uh, I don't know who you're talking about” he murmured. Yuta, who was in the room with Donghyuck, walked over to Johnny and showed him the picture of Alexi.

“How long you been working at that gym? You see him every day” he snapped.

“I…I see a lot of people” Johnny stammered. 

“We're gonna find your prints on that weapon” Yuta stated softly, looking Johnny in the eyes. Johnny quickly shook his head.

“N-no, you won't” he argued. Donghyuck scoffed.

“Why, 'cause you were wearing gloves? His blood is on them. On your boots too” he stated before he shook his head.

“You know, I don't get it. Your boss, your parole officer, they vouch for you” he exclaimed as Yuta crossed his arms.

“This coach, we heard he's real arrogant, okay? So what did he do to you? Treat you bad? Bother your girlfriend or something?” he asked, tilting his head to the side. Johnny looked at him, eyes wide.

“Girlfriend? I don't have time. I work two jobs, and I take care of my mom” he snapped. Donghyuck nodded slowly.

“And you live with your mom, right? Your boss told us that she was sick” he stated softly.

“She's okay. She's not gonna die” Johnny argued. Yuta sighed.

“You want to be there for her? You gotta help yourself out” he murmured.

“Come on, Alexi, what did he do to you? He disrespected you, he yelled at you, he's complaining about you to his boss—” Donghyuck started.

“What he does, he wouldn't try with me” Johnny growled. Donghyuck and Yuta looked at one another before Donghyuck looked Johnny in the eyes.

“What he does to who, Johnny?” he asked gently. Johnny said nothing and just bit his lip, looking away.

~*~*~*~*~

At the hospital, Jaehyun and Taeyong showed Coach Alexi Johnny’s photo, which seemed to rile the guy up a bit.

“This janitor said I abuse my student? He's psycho” he exclaimed. Taeyong sighed.

“Johnny Dubeck says that he saw something wrong. Why would he say that?” he asked.

“Because he's a janitor. An idiot!” Coach Alexi snapped. Jaehyun raised an eyebrow.

“So you don't tape your sessions?” he asked. Coach Alexi rolled his eyes.

“Of course I tape sessions. For the benefit of the student. A kid has a problem with dismount? Film it” he explained. Taeyong hummed.

“Okay, so this rubdown that Johnny saw you taping – who does that benefit?” he asked.

“Me. I started filming everything since I was accused. To show I have nothing to hide” Coach Alexi stated. Jaehyun and Taeyong then looked at one another before they nodded and looked back at Coach Alexi.

“Thank you for your time. We’re also gonna need those tapes” he stated. Coach Alexi shrugged.

“Sure. Go ahead” he replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	53. Case 8: Monster's Legacy - Part 3

After Taeyong and Jaehyun returned from the hospital, they walked over to the conference room, where Donghyuck, Yuta, and Sicheng were going through Coach Alexi’s tapes.

“Anybody learn anything?” Taeyong asked. Yuta huffed.

“Yeah, 90 hours of tape, and so far his only crime is boring me to death” he grumbled.

“Look, we talked to a lot of his students, both former and current. I mean, nobody likes the guy, but nobody called him a predator” Sicheng stated. Jaehyun hummed.

“Well, it sounds like we owe the coach an apology” he mused. Donghyuck then sighed and looked over at him.

“Hyung, Johnny believes what he told us” he argued. Sicheng nodded.

“Look, the coach does put his hands on these kids, and maybe Johnny misconstrued” he offered. Yuta scoffed.

“And stabbed the guy in the testicles? Something set him off” he stated. Taeyong huffed.

“Well, he's got one last chance to tell us what. He's been arraigned and he’s on his way to Rikers now” he stated.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, Johnny and five other men were chained together on a correction’s van, arriving at Rikers. When two of the guards opened the back, they found Johnny choking one of the prisoners with his chain.

“Woah, hey!” one guard exclaimed, jumping up into the van, another guard following him.

“We need help!” the second guard shouted as the first guard ran over to Johnny and wrapped his arms around him, trying to pull him away as the other guard wrenched the prisoner out of Johnny’s grasp, handing him off to other guards who were waiting around the backside of the van.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Donghyuck and Sicheng arrived at Rikers to see Johnny being led away by two prison guards to another police car while the others were putting another man on a gurney and into an ambulance.

“It's not my fault. I told them not to put me in with that!” Johnny shouted, glaring at the man being put on the gurney. Donghyuck and Sicheng looked at one another before Sicheng stormed forward.

“What the hell happened?!” he demanded.

“Dubeck went nuts on the truck, tried to kill the inmate next to him” one of the officers replied. Donghyuck frowned.

“What was he saying, "Don't put me in with that"?” he asked. 

“When we had him at the courthouse loading him in, he said he didn't want to be in the truck with this prisoner” the officer replied.

“The prisoner threaten him?” Sicheng snapped. The officer shook his head.

“Nah, some pedophile arraigned for touching boy scouts” he replied. Donghyuck and Sicheng looked at one another in shock before Donghyuck looked back at the officer.

“Pedophile?” he repeated. The officer nodded.

“Uh-huh” he replied.

“Is there any chance I can talk to Johnny?” Donghyuck asked as he stepped towards the police car, but it was already driving off. The officer shook his head.

“Not here. Try arraignment” he replied.

~*~*~*~*~

At the arraignment court, Donghyuck and Sicheng stood in the audience section and listened to what the judge had to say to Johnny.

“Two violent assaults in three days, Mr. Dubeck. I don't know what's going on with you, but I better not see you here again. The defendant is remanded back to Rikers” she ordered before she slammed down her gavel. As Johnny was being led away, he looked over at his mother, who was hooked up to an oxygen tank, and let out a soft whimper.

“I’m sorry mom” he apologized as he was being led away. Donghyuck and Sicheng looked over at Johnny’s mother before Sicheng sighed.

“We're not getting to him for a while” he muttered. Donghyuck huffed and crossed his arms.

“Yeah, you know what? In Johnny's mind, he's gone off on two pedophiles. Think the mother knows why?” he asked. Sicheng shrugged.

“We can follow her and ask” he replied. Donghyuck nodded.

“Yeah, let’s do that” he agreed. They then followed Johnny’s mother out of the courtroom and over to a bench where she was sitting.

“Mrs. Dubeck? I’m Detective Lee and this is Detective Dong. Can we ask you a few questions about Johnny?” Donghyuck asked gently. Mrs. Dubeck smiled slightly.

“Johnny's been clean and sober, no trouble, no – no fights since he was a teenager” she explained. Sicheng hummed.

“Lot of boys go through trouble during that time. Was his father around much?” he asked. Mrs. Dubeck looked at him and shook her head.

“No, Johnny's father died when he was ten” she replied. 

“Any other men in Johnny's life after that?” Sicheng asked.

“Well, a few years later, in our neighborhood house, Clinton, this coach took an interest in Johnny. He even managed to get Johnny into the open air camp upstate” Mrs. Dubeck explained. 

“Did Johnny like it up there?” Donghyuck asked. Mrs. Dubeck shook her head.

“Not so much. Coach Schultz said that Johnny was very homesick. And when he got home from camp, he just wasn't the same. I couldn't even drag him to Clinton house” she explained. Sicheng and Donghyuck looked at one another before they smiled at Mrs. Dubeck and thanked her for her time before they stood up.

“Let’s go talk to Johnny. See what he has to say” Donghyuck whispered as they walked away.

~*~*~*~*~

After speaking with Johnny, Donghyuck and Sicheng returned to SVU.

“So we talked to Johnny Dubeck. He admitted all he saw was Coach Alexi helping a student stretch” Donghyuck called out as he and Sicheng walked in.

“All right, so he overreacted. Does Johnny have a history of being assaulted?” Taeyong asked as he and Jaehyun walked out of their shared office into the bullpen. Sicheng sighed.

“Mom says something went on one summer with a camp coach” he replied.

“Okay, so we've seen this before. Somebody suffers a sexual abuse, then they manage to function until there's a trigger. He sees Coach Alexi touch a boy, and it sets him off” Jaehyun stated. Yuta huffed.

“Then he's chained to a pedophile? You want to set off PTSD in someone, couldn't have planned it better” he murmured. Jaehyun huffed.

“Well, that's all something his defense can bring up, and I'll make sure the DA passes that along” he stated. Donghyuck and everyone else looked at him in shock.

“Hold on. That's it? What about this camp coach?” Sicheng asked. Donghyuck quickly walked over to his desk and turned on his laptop, fingers flying over the keys before he found what he was looking for.

“It's Martin Schultz. He worked in a Clinton neighborhood house. In the summers, he ran open air camp. He took inner-city kids up to the Adirondacks” he replied. Taeyong hummed and walked over to him, Jaehyun following.

“Did Johnny accuse him, or is all of this inference?” he asked. Donghyuck sighed.

“Johnny was pretty shut down” he replied. Taeyong pursed his lips.

“So that’s a no. And if Schultz had a record, you would have told me” he stated, giving Donghyuck a look.

“Like Father Geoghan or Sandusky? You know how it goes. Even when people try to come forward, it always gets hushed up” Yuta argued. Taeyong scoffed.

“Or it's all just a misunderstanding, like Coach Alexi” he sneered.

“Okay, this Schultz – let's at least see if he's still working with kids” Jaehyun soothed, looking between Taeyong and the others. Taeyong looked at him before he sighed.

“Fine. Let’s go” he grumbled, turning and headed out of the unit, Jaehyun quickly following behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	54. Case 8: Monster's Legacy - Part 4

After Taeyong and Jaehyun left the precinct, they drove up to where Martin Schultz lived. Once they found his house, they searched the area for a little while before they finally came upon the man.

“Martin Schultz? My name is Captain Lee Taeyong and this is Lieutenant Jung Jaehyun. We’d like to talk to you about Johnny Dubeck” Taeyong stated. Martin frowned.

“Johnny? I've been working with kids for 50 years now. I don't know, I—when was this?” he asked.

“It was the early '90s. Yeah, his dad died when he was ten. You knew him from Clinton house. He has brown eyes, light brown hair” Jaehyun answered. Martin nodded slowly, finally remembering.

“Oh, Dubeck, big Swallows fan. He used to wear this ratty, orange t-shirt every day to camp. Every single day. The other kids teased him something fierce” he mused before he paused and looked between Taeyong and Jaehyun.

“You’re cops” he deadpanned.

“Mmhm” Taeyong replied, making Martin frown.

“Yeah, he do something wrong?” he asked.

“He assaulted a couple of men. He's going away for a very long time” Taeyong replied. Martin looked between Jaehyun and Taeyong before he looked at Taeyong.

“Anything I can do?” he asked. Jaehyun shrugged.

“Well, we're not sure. We're trying to understand the boy who became the man” he explained. Martin chuckled softly.

“Oh, that's always the tough one, isn't it? He could have gone either way” he mused before he looked between Taeyong and Jaehyun again.

“Uh, the kid had a lot of potential” he explained. Taeyong hummed.

“Yeah, his mom was telling us that he was a straight-A student…till he went to camp here” he stated. Martin blinked before he sighed.

“Hey, listen, you mind going inside? This cold makes my joints stiff, huh? Come on in” he urged, motioning for Taeyong and Jaehyun to follow him into the house.

~*~*~*~*~

Once they were inside, Martin made them two cup of hot chocolate and handed it to them.

“Hot chocolate. Good for the soul” he stated. Jaehyun and Taeyong took them gratefully before Taeyong cleared his throat.

“So back to Dubeck” he started.

“Mmhm” Martin replied.

“Did he ever confide in you about somebody here at the camp abusing him?” Taeyong asked, making Martin look up at him sharply.

“Stop right where you are. Now, I know these days everyone's gonna be asking these questions, but I don't tolerate deviance. And if I had seen a counselor look sideways at a kid, I would have knocked him on his ass and put him on the bus before he knew what hit him” he snarled. Jaehyun nodded slowly.

“Well, I get that, Mr. Schultz—” he started when Martin held up a hand.

“Call me Martin. Mr. Schultz was my father” he explained. Taeyong raised an eyebrow.

“Do all the kids call you Martin?” he asked. Martin nodded.

“Yeah. They have enough authority figures in their lives” he answered. Taeyong hummed.

“So you're their friend” he mused. Martin shrugged.

“Counselor, coach. Surrogate father. I try to change these kids' lives” he explained before he sighed deeply.

“I wish I could have done more for Johnny and some of the other kids I couldn't save. Fatherless kids. Try as you might, you can never fill that hole” he stated before he looked Taeyong straight in the eyes.

“Isn't that right, Captain?” he asked. Both Jaehyun and Taeyong froze before Taeyong shook his head.

“Excuse me?” he replied. Martin smiled slightly.

“It's all right, son. You've done good. I mean, you could have gone the other way too, hmm?” he asked. Taeyong narrowed his eyes at Martin before he placed down his mug of hot chocolate and thanked the man, quickly leaving the house. Jaehyun looked after him before he smiled thinly and placed his cup down too, quickly following after his husband.

~*~*~*~*~

When they returned back to the precinct and Yuta asked how it went, Taeyong shook his head.

“He’s a freaking sociopath. He's got this avuncular manner, and he spent the whole time reading us” he explained. Yuta raised an eyebrow.

“And you got all this from a cup of hot chocolate?” he asked. Jaehyun sighed.

“Look, everything he does is premeditated. Every word, every look” he replied. Sicheng huffed and crossed his arms.

“So you're telling me he didn't confess?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. Yuta then shrugged.

“Well, if this guy has worked with kids for over 50 years and there's not one complaint—” he started.

“Because he knows who to pick. He finds single mothers who are overburdened at best, grateful that a man has taken interest in their lost boys” Taeyong interrupted. Yuta shrugged in agreement while Donghyuck sighed and stood up, walking over to a corkboard full of pictures.

“And there may not be any complaints, but there is plenty of damage in his wake. I mean, so far I've found a dozen of his kids now in prison for assault, for rape, murder” he stated. Taeyong frowned and shook his head.

“But most survivors don't become abusers. They're usually shamed into silence. So whatever Martin did to those men when they were boys—” he started.

“He's ground zero for a second generation epidemic of assault and murder” Jaehyun finished. Everyone was silent at the conclusion that they had come to before Taeyong finally broke the silence with a deep sigh.

“Okay, this isn't gonna be easy. We're gonna have to find victims who will come forward” he stated. Donghyuck motioned to the board.

“You got a whole bunch right here, hyung” he murmured. Taeyong sighed and shook his head.

“Convicted felons. They're unreliable witnesses” he reminded. Sicheng hummed.

“Maybe individually, but there is a clear pattern here. And if we can prove that all of these violent men have one abuser in common, Martin Schultz, we've got a shot at taking him down” he suggested. Yuta shook his head.

“Yeah, but the problem is, prisoners don't want to admit they were abused. They don't want to be labeled as victims. It makes them targets” he explained.

“We only need one to start” Donghyuck stated as he held up a photo.

“Reggie Rhodes, okay? And he's not gonna be worried about being a target because he's on death row in Ustain. He's sentenced to die in ten days” he explained.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	55. Case 8: Monster's Legacy - Part 5

Once they figured out who they needed to talk to, Taeyong and Yuta headed up to the correctional facility where Reggie was being held. When they explained who they were and why they were there, Reggie hummed.

“Yeah, I knew Johnny. From the projects” he explained.

“And camp. Martin Schultz?” Yuta reminded. Reggie nodded in agreement as Taeyong crossed his arms.

“Can you tell us about Martin?” he asked. Reggie shook his head.

“No sir, I’d rather not” he replied. Yuta sighed.

“We understand that, Reggie, but he's still up there at that camp with other boys” he explained. Reggie scoffed.

“Why do they care now? They never cared before” he sneered.

“Because we're just finding out now…about what he did to those boys. And if that man is going to be punished for what he did, then we need somebody brave enough to come forward” Taeyong explained. Reggie shook his head.

“I can't. I don't want to think about him. I don't want to think about any of them” he snapped, turning away from Taeyong and Yuta, walking over to his bunk.

“Them?” Taeyong asked, raising an eyebrow.

“The man you murdered. At trial, they said he was a stranger. You were just robbing him in his house. Is there more to it than that?” Yuta asked. Reggie said nothing as he looked at the two men before him before he stood up and walked back over to the bars.

“Doesn't matter. I did kill him. And I can't take that back. I'm trying to stay at peace. Now get the hell out of here now!” he shouted before he walked back to his bunk. Taeyong and Yuta looked at one another before they stepped away from the bars and headed towards the entrance.

“You gonna contact Taemin and see if he’ll help out?” Yuta asked. Taeyong shook his head.

“Already tried. He’s out of town on a business trip” he replied. Yuta frowned.

“Mark?” he asked.

“Busy with trials all day” Taeyong replied. Yuta’s frown deepened.

“Then who are we gonna ask to help us with this?” he asked. Taeyong smirked.

“I think I know a guy” he replied.

~*~*~*~*~

Later on that evening, Taeyong sat before Chan’s husband, Lee Felix in a rather fancy restaurant.

“So how does this cross your desk?” Felix asked. 

“Because we are tracking a career pedophile, Martin Schultz, and we believe that Reggie is one of a dozen victims who went on to commit violent crimes themselves” Taeyong replied. Felix smirked.

“So are we talking about a death penalty case here or me doing SVU’s job?” he asked. Taeyong rolled his eyes before he chuckled.

“A little of both” he replied. Felix then frowned.

“Why are you asking me? Isn’t this Taemin’s domain?” he asked. Taeyong sighed.

“I already tried, but he’s out of town. So, I decided to ask you. You’re one of the best defense attorney’s I know” he explained. Felix smiled slightly.

“Thank you” he thanked before he cleared his throat.

“So, what am I looking at?” he asked. Taeyong opened up the case file and showed it to Felix, who took it in his hands and peered at it.

“The DA said that this was a robbery gone bad, but nothing was taken, and the man that he murdered had two prior solicitations for young black men” Taeyong explained. Felix frowned and looked up from the file.

“And this never came out at trial?” he asked. Taeyong shook his head.

“And Reggie never referenced a sexual relationship?” Felix asked. Taeyong shook his head again.

“Probably too ashamed to admit it” he replied before he sighed.

“Felix, if we don't help him, he dies in nine days” he deadpanned. Felix’s brown eyes widened before he sighed.

“Alright, I’ll help” he agreed. Taeyong smiled.

“I knew you would” he declared.

~*~*~*~*~

The next day, Taeyong and Felix headed back up to Ustain to talk to Reggie.

“So if I talk to you, Mr. Lee will help with my defense?” Reggie asked, looking at Taeyong. Felix huffed and crossed his arms.

“I read the transcript of your two-day trial. I'll help either way” he stated. Reggie frowned.

“But my last attorney, Mr. Amiri, he said it was too late” he explained. Felix shook his head.

“It's not. The governor can grant clemency if the parole board recommends it. Did Mr. Amiri ever tell you that?” he asked. Reggie sighed.

“I talked to him so long ago, I don't recall. I'd like to talk to the governor, if that's possible” he asked, looking over at Taeyong. Taeyong shook his head.

“It would be more like Mr. Lee would speak for you to the parole board” he explained. Reggie frowned.

“About what?” he asked. Felix sighed.

“Reggie, you murdered a man. And you may never get out of prison. But if something happened to you, something bad when you were a kid, the jury should have heard about it” he stated. Reggie was silent before Taeyong took a deep breath and looked at him.

“Reggie, before the trial, did anybody ever ask you about your childhood? Anybody ever ask you about that camp?” he asked. Reggie shook his head.

“I met the lawyer a day before. We didn't talk much about anything” he explained.

“There's still time. That's why we're here. We can talk about it now, okay?” Taeyong asked before he motioned for Reggie to sit down. Reggie did what he was told and sat down, Taeyong and Felix sitting before him.

“Reggie, we need you to tell us what happened at Martin's camp” Taeyong urged. Reggie sighed.

“The social worker in the group used to always try to get me to talk about it” he started before he fell silent.

“I know it's difficult, Reggie. But the parole board has to know what happened to you” Felix stated, kindly but firmly. Reggie shook his head.

“It's too late. I'm letting it go. I forgive everyone for everything. I even forgive my mama” he explained. Taeyong raised an eyebrow.

“Forgive her for what?” he asked. Reggie looked over at him and quirked a sad smile.

“For sending me back to Martin's camp” he answered. Taeyong nodded slowly before he looked over at Felix, who nodded once in reply. 

~*~*~*~*~

After they left Reggie, Taeyong looked over at Felix again.

“Does he have a chance?” he asked. Felix scoffed.

“After the defense he had, if Ustain executes him, it's state-sanctioned murder” he declared before glancing at Taeyong.

“You have any vacation days accumulated?” he asked. Taeyong chuckled.

“Oh, I don’t know. Fifty, sixty weeks” he replied. Felix chuckled as well.

“Well, good, you're in luck. Croebia’s lovely this time of year. And I'm going to need your help” he explained. Taeyong nodded.

“I’ll call Jaehyun and tell him to run the precinct while I’m gone” he stated. Felix nodded.

“I’m sure he’ll be fine” he replied. Taeyong smiled.

“I know he will” he agreed.

~*~*~*~*~

Once Taeyong called Jaehyun and told him what his plans were, he and Felix headed up to Croebia to speak to Reggie’s old attorney, Mr. Amiri.

“Rhodes…Reggie Rhodes” the man murmured before he found his file.

“He's one of your death row clients” Taeyong stated. Mr. Amiri nodded.

“Found guilty of killing Charles Danforth, father of three. Repeatedly smashed his head against a stove. Jury was out 40 minutes. What is it I can do for you?” he asked. Felix crossed his arms.

“You've yet to go to the parole board to ask for clemency” he stated. Mr. Amiri huffed.

“Rhodes was the only witness for the defense. He lied on the stand; said he wasn't at the scene. The victim's blood was found on his shoes. And for what it's worth, he told me he did it” he explained. Felix rolled his eyes.

“Did he also tell you that he met his original defense attorney the day before the trial and that lawyer was subsequently disbarred?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“A defendant is only entitled to counsel, not quality of counsel” Mr. Amiri stated as he walked over to his desk.

“Mr. Amiri, we've also become aware that Mr. Rhodes was a victim of sexual abuse as a child” Taeyong added. Mr. Amiri scoffed.

“I'm sure it's true for half of my cases. But the governor doesn't pardon murderers ‘cause they had a bad childhood” he snapped. Felix placed his hands on his hips and glared at the man.

“Look, it took me 15 minutes to find out that the deceased had a record for solicitation of young men. I need to prove that the original defense lawyer neglected to tell the jury about mitigating circumstances, period” he snapped. Mr. Amiri looked up at him and sighed as he stood to his feet, standing shorter than Felix.

“Mr. Lee, what we do is triage. I've got people on death row for crimes they didn't commit. You think you can come in and do a better job, have at it” he exclaimed. Felix smirked.

“Thank you” he thanked as he stepped forward and shook the man’s hand.

“That's all I wanted to hear” he stated before he and Taeyong turned and walked out of the man’s office.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	56. Case 8: Monster's Legacy - Part 6

“Reggie, we need to talk to you about what happened that night at Charles Danforth's house” Felix stated as he and Taeyong sat before Reggie in the correctional facility. Reggie shook his head.

“I can't go back to that place, man” he muttered.

“The jury was told that you had never met Danforth before. And that night, he just happened to hire you for an odd job?” Felix asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Reggie, we know that he hired other young men, and it wasn't for odd jobs. How did you end up in his home?” Taeyong added, looking at Reggie as well. When Reggie didn’t say anything, Felix sighed.

“Reggie, you've got to help yourself here” he pleaded. Reggie shook his head.

“Why are we doing this? It's over” he exclaimed. Felix shook his head in disagreement.

“There's nothing you can tell this man that he hasn't heard” he stated, pointing to Taeyong before pointing to himself.

“There's nothing you could say that would make you any less of a man in my eyes” he assured before he glanced at Taeyong.

“Why don't I give you and Captain Lee some time together?” he suggested as he stood up and walked out of the cell. Taeyong then smiled kindly at Reggie.

“You need a break? How about some water?” he asked. Reggie shook his head.

“No thank you, sir” he replied. Taeyong then took a deep breath.

“Reggie, you said before that you didn't want to talk about any of _them._ Martin…he wasn't the first. How old were you when it started?” he asked gently. Reggie was quiet before he hummed in thought.

“Well, the first time I can remember…five, maybe six. See, my uncle…my uncle put his mouth on me. And he said, um, _"Now you're a big boy, and this is what big boys do with men"_ ” he explained. Taeyong nodded slowly in understanding while Reggie just looked down in shame.

~*~*~*~*~

“After his uncle, it was his mother's boyfriend, or pimp. And at ten, it was a teacher in school. I mean, predators have radar” Taeyong explained as he and Felix sat in their rented car.

“And Martin?” Felix asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Three summers. And by the end, Martin was passing him around to other men. So Reggie drops out of school, he hitchhikes, and ends up here in Croebia” Taeyong explained with anger in his voice.

“Where he meets Danforth?” Felix assumed. Taeyong nodded.

“Through a mutual friend. Danforth pays him for sex for over a year” he explained. Felix hummed.

“The “odd jobs”” he murmured.

“Until one night, Reggie comes over. After Danforth is finished with him, the door opens, and three _other_ men walk into the garage. They work him over all night. The next day, Reggie comes back and kills Danforth” Taeyong continued. Felix frowned.

“Did he ever tell his original lawyer that story?” he asked. Taeyong shook his head.

“He says that the lawyer told him that the jury didn't need to hear that. He said it was better to say that he wasn't there at all” he explained. Felix was stunned into silence before he shook his head.

“That lawyer's deceased. But the parole board's gonna want confirmation, so we're on two tracks now. Reggie's relationship with Danforth—” he started.

“And what happened to him growing up” Taeyong finished.

~*~*~*~*~

Taeyong then gave Jaehyun a call and told him to tell the others to figure out about Reggie’s past. Find family members and other things like that. Once Jaehyun had received those orders, he sent Yuta to the hospital where Reggie’s sister worked and told him to ask her questions about her childhood.

“My uncle abused me first. Until I—you know” she trailed off. Yuta nodded sympathetically.

“Yeah, I know. After you matured, he moved on to Reggie” he stated. Reggie’s sister sighed deeply.

“I was just glad it wasn't me anymore. I would stay at the library until close and just bury my head in my books” she explained.

“But you're lucky you got out. Your brother's on death row” Yuta reminded. Reggie’s sister nodded.

“I pray for him every day” she replied. 

“'Cause you know what he went through; that it was more than just your uncle” Yuta stated. Reggie’s sister shut her eyes and shook her head, sighing deeply.

“I know” she murmured.

“Cassandra, you couldn't protect him growing up. Help him now” Yuta urged. Reggie’s sister looked at him before she nodded.

“Alright” she agreed.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, Donghyuck and Sicheng headed back up to Martin’s cabin to speak with him.

“Reggie. Reggie Rhodes? Good God almighty. When he showed up at this camp, he didn't even have a toothbrush. A pair of shorts, a pair of old, high-top, dirty sneakers. His mother was a crack addict, or worse” Martin explained as a young boy in the background went around watering plants.

“Anything else you remember about him?” Sicheng asked.

“A 12-year-old kid with a rap sheet as long as your arm. But underneath, he's a sweet kid. Sweet kid. Until he found me, nobody ever looked out for him” Martin explained, just as the young boy looked over at him.

“Anything more, Martin?” he asked. Martin shook his head.

“No, Pablo, you got homework for tomorrow, right?” he asked. The young boy nodded.

“Well, get upstairs and get going” Martin ordered. The young boy, Pablo, nodded and walked out of the room, heading upstairs to his room to work. Once he was gone, Martin looked at Donghyuck and Sicheng.

“I thought you guys were working on the Johnny Dubeck case” he asked. Sicheng nodded.

“Yeah, the boys, they both went to settlement house and your camp” he explained. Martin frowned.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. What's that got to do with the price of coffee? Are you trying to say this camp had something to do with those boys' behavior?” he demanded. Donghyuck shrugged.

“Reggie Rhodes told detectives that he was raped here at this camp, three summers in a row” she explained.

“Yeah, the guy bashes someone's head in. He's about to get the needle for it. Naturally, he's going to look for some way to save his hide” he snarled. Sicheng shook his head.

“Martin, no one's saying it was you, but you told us, any whiff of trouble, and you'd kick the counselor out. So anything happen while Reggie was here?” he asked. Martin frowned.

“You want me to lie?” he exclaimed.

“It's past the statute of limitations. So this camp, you…you know, we could ensure there'd be no liability” Donghyuck offered. Martin was quiet before he growled and shook his head.

“Get the hell out of here! I don't want that boy upstairs to hear any of this! Go on! Get out!” he shouted. Donghyuck and Sicheng said nothing before they turned and headed out of the cabin, away from Martin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	57. Case 8: Monster's Legacy - Part 7

While Jaehyun, Yuta, Sicheng and Donghyuck were working back home is Asmaye, Taeyong and Felix were still working up in Ustain.

“Ms. Lathrop, you were the assistant prosecutor in the case against Reggie Rhodes?” Felix asked as he and Taeyong flanked the woman on either side as she was walking down the stairs in a courthouse.

“It was my first murder trial as lead counsel” Ms. Lathrop replied.

“So you had a lot riding on this case” Taeyong mused.

“Frankly, it was a good one to cut my teeth on. And I was supervised by the lead prosecutor, Higa Katsumoto. You're, uh, preparing Rhodes's clemency hearing?” Ms. Lathrop asked, looking at Taeyong and Felix, who nodded.

“Mmhm. And we found mitigating circumstances that we think the jury should have heard” Felix replied. Ms. Lathrop frowned.

“Like what? It was open and shut” she stated. 

“Well, for one, that Danforth may have been paying Rhodes for sex” Taeyong stated. Ms. Lathrop scoffed.

“Is that what he's telling you now? Everybody has a story” she sneered. Felix crossed his arms.

“Well, we think Reggie might have been abused the night before he killed Danforth. If you have any way to corroborate that—” he started when Ms. Lathrop shook her head.

“I don’t” she replied as she started walking again. 

“Well, you do know that Danforth had a record for solicitation” Felix reminded, quickly over taking the woman and stopping her from getting away.

“That was public information” Ms. Lathrop replied with a frowned. Felix raised an eyebrow.

“So the defense knew about it?” he asked. Ms. Lathrop nodded.

“Of course. I was prepared for him to bring it up. He never did” she explained. Felix and Taeyong looked at one another before Ms. Lathrop sighed.

“There are people on death row that deserve clemency, but Reggie Rhodes — he deserves to die” she stated before she walked around Felix and walked off. Once she was gone, Taeyong crossed his arms.

“She seem a bit defensive to you?” he asked. Felix chuckled.

“I think she was helpful. She told us that Reggie's lawyer knew Danforth had a record and didn't use it. That speaks of negligence” he explained. Taeyong raised an eyebrow.

“That enough?” he asked. Felix just smiled and shrugged before he walked away. Taeyong blinked before he shook his head.

“Lawyers…always so damn cryptic” he grumbled before he followed after the man.

~*~*~*~*~

In the parole board room, Reggie’s sister Cassandra was testifying.

“The first summer Reggie came home from camp, I was helping with his laundry, and his…his underwear was stained with blood. Mama saw it, and she didn't even say a word. She just put it in the wash” she explained. Felix frowned.

“And when was this?” he asked.

“Reggie was 13. I was 17, home visiting” Cassandra explained. Felix nodded slowly.

“And you weren't living with your mother?” he asked. Cassandra shook her head.

“Not at that time. I felt sorry for Reggie. But mama was using, and I couldn't fight her and her boyfriend” she explained.

“Did you tell Reggie's defense lawyer about this?” Felix asked. Cassandra nodded.

“Yeah, I called him outside the courthouse. And before I could get ten words in, he told me to shut the "f" up; that the jury did not need to know that Reggie was a homo” she explained. Felix nodded.

“Thank you, Ms. Smith” he thanked. Cassandra nodded and walked off the stand as the head of the parole board spoke up.

“Mr. Lee, this history of abuse is horrible. And the fact that Mr. Rhodes's original counselor never brought it to the attention of the jury only compounds the negligence” she stated. Felix nodded.

“Thank you, Ms. Brooks” he thanked before he handed over a file to an officer that was inside the board room.

“Here are our sworn affidavits from seven of the original jurors, stating that, had they known this history, they would not have sentenced Reggie Rhodes to death” he stated.

“Even though your client now admits to the murder he previously denied?” another member of the board asked. Felix nodded.

“Oh, yes, they all agreed that, given this level of defense negligence, it would be a grave miscarriage of justice for the state to execute Reggie Rhodes” he replied. 

“Thank you, Counselor. We will rule within 24 hours. This concludes the hearing” the head of the board declared. Once the hearing was over, Taeyong stood up from where he was sitting and walked over to Felix.

“Good job, Felix. You brought up enough to get the case retried” he praised. Felix shrugged.

“Well, one step at a time. Let's just focus on the stay of execution” he instructed as Reggie stood up in the cell that he was placed in.

“What do we do now?” he asked. 

“We wait, Reggie” Felix replied before he shook Cassandra’s hand, silently thanking her for her time.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Taeyong and Felix walked into the correctional facility and over to Reggie’s cell. When he saw them, he smiled brightly.

“Hey, you're both here. That must mean good news” he assumed. Taeyong shook his head.

“They voted five to four against us. I'm sorry, Reggie” he apologized. Reggie looked at both men, completely heartbroken.

“But I thought…how did this happen?” he demanded. Felix shook his head.

“I don't know, Reggie, but we're gonna try and find out” he assured. Reggie looked between them again before he just hung his head and shook it.

~*~*~*~*~*~

After speaking to Reggie, Taeyong and Felix went to a little diner to eat and talk about what the hell had just happened with the parole board.

“The parole board says in their own decision that Reggie's defense was unconstitutionally deficient. This doesn't make sense” Taeyong exclaimed as he read the email on his phone. Felix huffed.

“Keep reading” he grumbled.

“And then they vote five to four, _"That the negligent defense doesn't rise to the level of invalidating the sanctity of a jury's decision."_ What am I missing?” Taeyong demanded. Felix chuckled mirthlessly.

“Four votes. No offense, ex-cops. CO’s” he explained. Taeyong growled.

“I saw them rolling their eyes when the sister was testifying. But the fifth vote, the chair. She was asking all the right questions” he exclaimed. Felix nodded.

“Oh, yes, she did, which makes it harder to accuse her of bias” he explained. Taeyong raised an eyebrow.

“Bias? She's the former head of social services” he exclaimed. Felix nodded.

“She also should have recused herself” he agreed before he smirked slightly.

“I got an off-the-record call this morning. Ms. Brooks is married to Higa Katsumoto” he stated. Taeyong’s eyes widened.

“The lead prosecutor who supervised DA Lathrop as she "cut her teeth" on Reggie's trial?” he asked. Felix nodded.

“One and the same” he replied. Taeyong shook his head.

“Oh, my God. This was rigged” he breathed in disbelief. Felix scoffed.

“It's been rigged against Reggie from the get” he replied. Taeyong looked at him with wide eyes.

“So that’s it?!” he exclaimed. Felix shook his head.

“No, there may be just one last shot” he replied as he stood up and placed a few bills down on the diner’s counter, paying for his coffee. Taeyong looked at him again with wide eyes before he sighed.

“Alright Felix, I’m trusting you on this” he grumbled as he too paid for his coffee and walked out of the diner after the defense attorney.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	58. Case 8: Monster's Legacy - CASE CLOSED

“Prosecutorial misconduct?” Judge Maria Ana DeFeceo exclaimed as she walked into her chambers, Felix following after her. Taeyong decided to wait outside, since he wasn’t exactly well versed in the law like Felix was.

“Prosecutors make mistakes, can be negligent. But in this case, you're alleging that they intentionally withheld evidence?” Judge DeFeceo continued. Felix nodded.

“Yes, if the prosecutors knew about Reggie's abuse and hid that from the defense, that's exactly what we're talking about here” he explained as he sat down in front of the judge’s desk.

“Twenty years and it’s never come out? Rhodes is sentenced to die in five days. Forgive me, Counselor, but isn't this the definition of a hail Mary?” Judge DeFeceo asked. 

“And as the parole board just affirmed, the defense was unconstitutionally incompetent” Felix replied. Judge DeFeceo was quiet for a moment before she frowned.

“I won't grant a stay of execution. You can have the files till noon tomorrow” she stated. Felix was the one to frown this time.

“Your Honor, it's 5:00 PM. That's less than 24 hours” he argued. Judge DeFeceo looked over at him and gave him a look.

“Your client has had 20 years. Take it or leave it” she ordered. Felix nodded.

“Yes. Thank you, Your Honor” he thanked. He then left her chambers and began walking quickly, making Taeyong rush to keep up with him.

“How long we’ve got?” Taeyong asked.

“Less than 24 hours. So we gotta move” Felix declared.

~*~*~*~*~

Later on that night, in a hotel, Taeyong was going through some crime scene pictures from one of the files and noticed something rather odd.

“Felix, look at this. Look at this” he ordered, making Felix look up from his files and walk over to him.

“These are the crime scene photos that were shown to the jury” he explained, pointing to a stack before picking up other photos.

“These I just found. They're wider shots. Look at the bloody footprints, and look at the bare spot” he instructed. Felix frowned and took one, examining it as Taeyong continued to explain what was wrong with the photos.

“It's missing evidence shadows. They sanitized the crime scene” he explained. Felix nodded slowly.

“I'll keep going, you go see if Reggie remembers what was on the floor” he ordered. Taeyong nodded and grabbed the file full of photos before he left to go speak to Reggie.

~*~*~*~*~

“Yeah, Danforth took pictures. That's why I went back the next day to tell him to give them back” Reggie explained after Taeyong asked him about what was on the floor.

“So the men took polaroids the night they worked you over?” Taeyong asked. Reggie nodded.

“You know, I heard clicks; I seen flashes. I said, _"Stop it."_ I said, _"No more pictures."_ Then I went back to Danforth. I tried to grab them from him. They fell all over the floor. I looked at the pictures, and I got so mad. I don't want anybody taking pictures of me. Not anymore” he explained. Taeyong frowned and tilted his head to the side slightly.

“Reggie, did somebody else take pictures of you?” he asked softly.

“Pictures and movies. They said they'd show everybody if I told” Reggie explained.

~*~*~*~*~

Back in Asmaye, Jaehyun and Yuta were speaking to Johnny at Rikers and asking him if the same thing happened to him, with the pictures and the movies.

“It was humiliating. Coach Schultz videotaped me and him in his basement. He said if I told, he'd show everybody” Johnny spat. Jaehyun nodded slowly, making Johnny frown.

“What?” he asked.

“Well, it might explain why you went off on Coach Alexi when you saw him videotaping those boys” Jaehyun explained softly. Johnny blinked before he shook his head.

“I don't – I don't want anyone to know. I don't want anyone to know” he begged. Jaehyun nodded.

“Okay, Johnny, I promise. No one is going to know” he assured, Yuta nodding in agreement. After they spoke to Johnny, they left the visitation center in the prison and walked back to their car.

“If Schultz taped Johnny, even if he lets us use it, the statute's run out” Yuta grumbled.

“But not on possession of child porn. Look, Schultz remembered details, I mean, what the boys wore. It's like he's been replaying a highlight reel. I bet he still has those tapes” Jaehyun growled.

“Let’s call Mark and get a warrant before he starts taping the kid he's got up there now” Yuta declared before they walked out the prison gate.

~*~*~*~*~

After they got the warrant from Mark, Yuta, Sicheng, Jaehyun, and Donghyuck headed up to Martin’s camp and started to look around for the tapes.

“Damn, looks like he got rid of everything” Yuta spat. Just then, Pablo walked in, a look of curiosity mixed with fear on his face.

“Do you know what happened to the videos that were in here?” Donghyuck asked, looking over at Pablo.

“Coach told me not to say” Pablo replied. Jaehyun sighed before he walked over to Pablo and stood before him.

“Pablo, can I talk to you for a second?” he asked. Pablo nodded, allowing Jaehyun to quickly usher him out of the house.

~*~*~*~*~

At the supreme court, Felix was examining Ms. Lathrop on the witness stand. 

“Ms. Lathrop, Reggie Rhodes was the first homicide you tried as a lead prosecutor, and it was a death penalty case. Sounds like a lot of pressure” he mused.

“It was a particularly brutal murder. It was my duty to see that justice was done for the victim and for his family” Ms. Lathrop replied.

“And given that the defendant's life was at stake, you of course familiarized yourself with all aspects of this case?” Felix asked.

“Well, I had a supervisor, but I lived with it every day until I got that conviction. So yes, Counselor, I would say that I know the facts as well as anyone. And the law” Ms. Lathrop replied.

~*~*~*~*~

“Please don't tell him I showed you this” Pablo begged as he led Jaehyun to a trash can full of melted VCR tapes.

“Martin asked you to burn these?” Jaehyun asked. Pablo nodded.

“The day after you guys were here. He had boxes of them. You know, old sports tapes” he explained. Jaehyun hummed.

“Boxes. Well, that would have taken a long time” he mused.

“The fire went out. I didn't get to them all” Pablo admitted. Jaehyun looked up from one of the tapes at him, making Pablo shrink under his gaze.

~*~*~*~*~

“And I'm sure you thoroughly investigated both the victim and the defendant's personal histories” Felix inquired, crossing his arms.

“I'm a prosecutor, not a social worker. But I did my job” Ms. Lathrop replied.

“So you were aware that, as a young boy, Reggie Rhodes was serially abused by a number of adult men” Felix stated.

“Neither he nor his defense attorney brought that up” Ms. Lathrop replied.

“Well, Ms. Lathrop, at the trial, you told the jury that this was a murder between strangers. A robbery gone bad, correct?” Felix asked.

“And the jury agreed with me. They handed down the appropriate sentence” Ms. Lathrop stated.

“Were you aware of a prior relationship between Mr. Rhodes and the victim?” Felix questioned. Ms. Lathrop shook her head.

“I don't recall ever hearing that” she replied.

“And yet detectives were able to track Reggie Rhodes down because the victim's wife ID'd him as someone the husband often hired as a handyman” Felix stated. Ms. Lathrop sneered.

“It's been 20 years, but my memory is that forensic evidence led to his being apprehended” she snapped. Felix raised an eyebrow.

“Forensic evidence. That would include footprints?” he asked.

~*~*~*~*~

After Pablo told Jaehyun where the rest of the boxes were, he, Yuta, Sicheng, and Donghyuck packed them up and put them in a CSU truck, just as Martin drove up to the camp.

“Hey. Hey! What the hell are you people doing here, huh? Get off my property!” he screamed as he got out of the car.

“Got a warrant to search your crib, Coach” Yuta stated, walking over and handing the warrant to the man. Martin glanced over it before he snarled.

“This is for my house! You got no business in my shed! This is an illegal search! Anything you find in there will be inadmissible” he snapped. Donghyuck barked out a laugh.

“You need your reading glasses. It says property, not house” he sneered. Martin then looked over at Pablo and growled.

“I give you one thing to do, and you can't even finish that” he snarled. Pablo looked at him with teary eyes.

“Martin, I'm sorry. I tried” he pleaded when Martin grabbed him by the scruff of his neck.

“You sold me out, you little bastard” he snarled, making Sicheng run over and yank Martin away from Pablo.

“Hey, hey. You can't talk to him unless I'm present. He's 13. It would be inadmissible. It won't stand up! I'm his legal guardian!” Martin shouted as Sicheng led Pablo away. Jaehyun scoffed.

“Not for long. You're under arrest, Mr. Schultz” he stated as he slapped cuffs onto Martin’s wrists.

“You think you're protecting these kids by arresting me? You idiots. I'm the only father they ever had!” he exclaimed.

“Shut up you disgusting son of a bitch” Yuta ordered as he led him away.

~*~*~*~*~

“Yes, I see the bare patch and the bloody footprint. I have no idea what might have caused it” Ms. Lathrop replied as she looked at one of the crime scene photos that Felix showed her.

“Did any detectives ever tell you about polaroids found on the kitchen floor? Incriminating photographs of Mr. Danforth and other men having sex with Reggie?” Felix asked as he handed the photo over to the judge. Ms. Lathrop shook her head.

“The police never told me that” she replied. Felix smirked.

“Because if he had, you would have turned that over to the defense” he stated. Ms. Lathrop nodded.

“Of course” she replied. Felix then cleared his throat.

“So just to recap, you didn't investigate Mr. Danforth's criminal history of soliciting young men. You knew nothing about Mr. Rhodes's history of sexual abuse, and you knew nothing about Mr. Danforth paying Mr. Rhodes for sex?” he asked. 

“To the best of my recollection” Ms. Lathrop answered.

“And you did not intentionally hide any of this information from the defense?” Felix asked. Ms. Lathrop shook her head.

“Absolutely not. Is it possible that there was some negligence due to my inexperience? In hindsight, yes. But I would never purposefully withhold evidence to put a man on death row” she snapped. Felix hummed before he walked back to his desk and picked up an envelope and handed it Ms. Lathrop.

“Ms. Lathrop are these your notes?” he asked. Ms. Lathrop paused before she shook her head.

“I don't immediately recognize them” she replied. Felix rolled his eyes.

“Is this your handwriting?” he asked, motioning to the writing on the envelope.

“Yes” Ms. Lathrop replied.

“Can you read what's on the outside of the envelope?” Felix asked.

_“To Mr. Higa from ML”_ Ms. Lathrop read. Felix hummed.

“ML. Marni Lathrop. And the next line?” he asked. Ms. Lathrop sighed.

_“FYEO”_ she read. 

“For your eyes only. In other words, not to be shared with the defense” Felix stated. Ms. Lathrop bit her bottom lip and looked down while Felix reached inside the envelope and pulled out a sheet of paper.

“And now on this page. Still your handwriting? Can you read what it says for the court?” he asked, handing the sheet to Ms. Lathrop. Ms. Lathrop looked over it before she looked up at the judge.

“Your Honor, I'm not comfortable using this language” she stated. Felix frowned at her.

“You wrote it, and now you're not comfortable reading it?” he sneered.

“Read it, Ms. Lathrop” Judge DeFeceo ordered. Ms. Lathrop shut her eyes and sighed before she cleared her throat.

_“Further notes on the faggot squad”_ she read, pausing to look up at Felix, who was staring at her with burning brown eyes.

“Go on” he ordered. Ms. Lathrop sighed before she continued reading.

_“Reggie Rhodes's 'odd jobs' for Danforth may refer to sexual favors”_ she continued. 

“And at the bottom?” Felix asked. Ms. Lathrop looked down and sighed, knowing she was in deep shit.

_“Enclosed envelope contains photos found at scene. Sexually explicit images of victim and defendant”_ she read aloud. Felix then pulled an envelope out of thin air and showed it to Ms. Lathrop.

“Does this jog your memory about whether or not the lead detective mentioned polaroids at the scene?” he asked.

“I have no idea how these—” Ms. Lathrop started.

“Would you open this and show these photos to the court?” Felix asked. Ms. Lathrop shook her head.

“No. No, I couldn't—” she started.

“Just like you couldn't show them to the defense” Felix interrupted. 

“No. That's not what I was saying” Ms. Lathrop argued.

“Even when this became a death penalty case! You didn't share these with anyone _but_ your supervisor, did you?” Felix demanded.

“No” Ms. Lathrop admitted, handing back her notes to Felix. Felix then handed the notes and the photos to the judge, looking up at her.

“Thank you. No further questions” he stated before he walked back to his bench.

~*~*~*~*~

The next day, Judge DeFeceo was giving her verdict on whether or not Reggie’s case was going to be re-tried or not.

“Never in 30 years on the bench have I seen a more blatant example of prosecutorial misconduct. I am going to grant a stay of execution for Mr. Rhodes. His death warrant is due to expire in two days. I strongly advise the county prosecutors to allow that warrant to lapse” she declared. Felix smirked triumphantly before glancing back at Taeyong, who nodded his head in thanks.

~*~*~*~*~

After hearing the news from the judge, Felix and Taeyong decided to go tell Reggie the news.

“So this time we won?” Reggie asked as Taeyong and Felix walked into his cell.

“A stay of execution” Felix answered. Taeyong smiled.

“We won, Reggie. And the state will be looking at your case. And we may even get you a new trial” he explained.

“In the meantime, we're gonna get you transferred to a different prison” Felix added. Reggie looked between the two men before he smiled and threw his arms around them.

“Thank you!” he exclaimed. Taeyong and Felix’s eyes widened in surprise before they laughed and threw their arms around the man, celebrating with him.

~*~*~*~*~

Back in Asmaye, Jaehyun, Yuta, Sicheng, and Donghyuck waited outside of where they led the prisoners to their cells and watched as a Rikers’ guard led Martin Schultz inside. Yuta then noticed as Johnny walked over to the cell wall and watched with wide eyes as Martin was being led down the hall. Once the door closed in their faces, Jaehyun, Yuta, Sicheng, and Donghyuck were escorted away by another guard, making sure that they were safely out of the prison. As soon as they were outside, Yuta looked over at Jaehyun and hummed.

“He’s going to die in there, isn’t he?” he asked.

“Who, Martin?” Jaehyun replied. Yuta nodded.

“Yeah” he replied. Jaehyun shrugged.

“Probably from old age” he answered. Donghyuck scoffed.

“Or from Johnny shanking him in his sleep” he argued. Jaehyun smirked.

“Well, it would be payback for all of those years of abuse” he mused. Yuta, Sicheng, and Donghyuck frowned at him.

“Was there a reason why Martin was put in the same place as Johnny?” Sicheng asked. Jaehyun smiled a small, devilish smile.

“I may have pulled a string or two” he replied. Yuta, Sicheng, and Donghyuck’s eyes widened.

“So you’re totally okay with this?!” Yuta exclaimed. Jaehyun paused in his walking and turned to look at him.

“Yuta, if Johnny doesn’t do it, someone else is going to find out and he’ll be dead either way. Most prisoners don’t particularly care for pedophiles, child molesters, or child abusers. So once word gets out about what Martin is, he’ll have to watch his back at every turn” he explained. Yuta, Sicheng, and Donghyuck blinked before Donghyuck huffed.

“Let’s just hope that Johnny gets to him first” he murmured. Jaehyun smirked.

“Oh, I ensured that. They’re in the same cell together. He’ll be dead by the evening. I also instructed the guards to not call us but to just dump Martin’s body. Or incinerate it. Doesn’t matter. No one at SVU or the APD will be surprised when they see Martin Schultz in the obituaries. We’ll know who did it” he explained as he continued walking. Yuta, Sicheng, and Donghyuck looked at Jaehyun in shock before they quickly raced to keep up with him.

“You really don’t like the guy, do you?” Sicheng asked. Jaehyun huffed.

“What gave you that impression?” he replied sarcastically before he turned serious.

“No, I don’t like pedophiles. They disgust me and it disgusts me to think about what he did to those men and Johnny. So I’m glad he’s in there. Maybe he’ll learn how it feels to be abused before he gets murdered” he growled. Yuta, Sicheng, and Donghyuck stared at him in shock before Donghyuck whistled low.

“Jesus, hyung, you’re terrifying. You’re not a corrupt cop, are you?” he asked. Jaehyun chuckled.

“Of course not. I just want this man to suffer like how he made all of these poor boys suffer. Simple as that” he stated. Yuta shook his head.

“Does Taeyong know?” he asked. Jaehyun chuckled, eyes flashing white.

“Of course he does. He’s the one who signed off on it” he replied, making Yuta, Sicheng, and Donghyuck stop and stare as he headed for the prison entrance. They continued to stare before they looked at one another, shook their heads, and followed after him.

“Psychopaths. We work with psychopaths” Donghyuck whispered. Sicheng chuckled.

“Doesn’t that mean we’re psychopaths too?” he asked. Donghyuck was quiet before he smiled slightly.

“I guess we are” he mused. Sicheng and Yuta chuckled, making Jaehyun look back at them and raise an eyebrow before giving them a knowing smirk.

“Come on boys” he called out. Yuta, Sicheng, and Donghyuck nodded.

“Coming!” they called out, rushing to catch up with their boss.

**_CASE CLOSED_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	59. Case 9: Dolls - Part 1

In a waste facility, tons of garbage were being sent up a conveyer belt to be shredded while two garbage workers were sifting through the trash.

“My girlfriend, she hates that I do this. She wants me to quit” one of the workers, Dave, explained. The other work, Joe, laughed.

“She won't complain when you find her that diamond ring” he replied. 

“Cause that happens?” Dave asked. Joe laughed again.

“Oh, man! You wouldn't believe the stuff folks throw away” he replied before he let out a groan.

“Oh! Oh, what the hell is that?” he exclaimed. Dave shook his head.

“I don't smell nothing” he replied. Joe looked at him in shock.

“Oh, man, you're crazy. That thing stinks” he exclaimed. Dave chuckled.

“It may smell bad, but the pay is good” he reminded. Joe huffed.

“Not good enough” he replied as Dave grabbed a rake.

“Break up that mass before it jams the grinder” he ordered. Joe tried, but the mass of garbage was stuck.

“The damn thing's stuck” he grumbled. Dave huffed and stopped the machine before he walked over to Joe.

“Let me see that” he grumbled, grabbing the handle of the rake to help Joe when they both pulled something out of the trash.

“Is that a hand?” Joe croaked.

“Holy mother of God” Dave whispered.

~*~*~*~*~

“M.E. says she's five, maybe six years old. Raped and murdered. Came in with a load of garbage” CSU officer Han Jisung explained as Taeyong and Jaehyun walked into the scene.

“Where from?” Jaehyun asked. 

“Commercial dumpster. Half the carting companies in the city offload here” Jisung explained. Taeyong hummed.

“Is there any way to tell which truck brought the body in?” he asked. Jisung tsked.

“Plant manager says they get more than a hundred trucks in here every day, and they all dump in one heap that feeds into the maw” he explained, motioning to the large machine. Jaehyun nodded before he pointed to the belt of the machine.

“You see everything on that belt?” he asked. Jisung frowned.

“Yeah, what about it?” he asked.

“Once the M.E. is done, I want you to bag up everything on it” Jaehyun ordered. Jisung huffed.

“Swell” he grumbled before he walked off as Dr. Liu Yangyang looked up at Taeyong and Jaehyun.

“Cause of death was ligature strangulation” he called out.

“And the sexual assault?” Taeyong asked. Yangyang shook his head.

“Injuries to the genitalia show no signs of healing. Raped close to the time of death, but that was a while ago” he explained as he lifted up the blanket covering the body. Taeyong and Jaehyun studied the body before Taeyong frowned.

“Her skin is shriveled” he observed as he looked up at Yangyang.

“Mummification?” he asked. Yangyang nodded.

“Exactly. The body was stored before it was dumped. I'll know more after an autopsy” he replied. Jaehyun sighed.

“It'll be tough to make an ID with her face damaged like that” he mused. Yangyang looked over at him.

“Definitely post-mortem, probably from the garbage truck blades. She was a fighter. Take a look at this” he instructed, lifting up the body’s hand to show a piece of blonde hair tangled in her fingers.

“BIonde hair. Maybe she got a piece of him” Jaheyun mused. Taeyong sighed.

“I sure hope so” he murmured.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Jaheyun and Taeyong walked into the morgue.

“Tell me you've got his DNA” Jaehyun called out. Yangyang, who was looking at the strand of hair in an evidence bag, shook his head.

“Sorry. The blonde hairs that were found in her hand turned out to be synthetic” he replied. 

“From a wig?” Taeyong asked. Yangyang shrugged.

“Maybe. I'm sending the fibers over to the lab to be checked against the FBI database” he replied. Taeyong sighed.

“We at least know how long ago she died?” he asked. Yangyang held up a bottle full of insects floating in fluid and hummed.

“Based on the insect activity, I'd say between six and eight weeks ago” he stated before he placed the bottle down and walked over to the body on the table.

“Judging from the mummification, the body was kept in a cool place” he continued. Jaehyun crossed his arms.

“Can we get an ID from the dental records?” he asked. Yangyang shook his head.

“I doubt it. Look at this” he instructed, motioning for Jaehyun and Taeyong to follow him over to an x-ray light.

“There's so much tooth decay, it's unlikely she ever saw a dentist” he stated. Taeyong sighed.

“We'll definitely need a facial reconstruction” he mused. Yangyang nodded.

“I'll send the body to our forensic anthropologist. He'll also try to raise fingerprints” he stated. Taeyong frowned.

“So that's it?” he asked. Yangyang sighed.

“Except for a few details that will break your heart” he replied as he lifted up the blanket to reveal the little girl’s face.

“Displacement of her front teeth suggests she sucked her thumb. And she liked jumping rope” he stated. Taeyong frowned.

“How’d you get that?” he asked. Yangyang walked over to the counter and picked up a pair of black shoes.

“The scuffed toes. I knew girls who ruined enough pairs when they were her age” he explained. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	60. Case 9: Dolls - Part 2

After talking to Yangyang, Taeyong and Jaehyun were heading to their office when Taeyong shook his head.

“A five-year-old kid disappears and nobody reports it?” he grumbled, just as Donghyuck walked over to them.

“We checked her dental x-rays against every missing five-to-seven-year-old African-American girl in the Tri-State. No match” he stated, handing them a file. Jaehyun huffed.

“Someone snatches your kid, you call 911” he grumbled as he, Taeyong, and Donghyuck walked into the bullpen. Sicheng looked over at them and huffed.

“Unless you don't want anybody to know that your kid's gone” he reminded. Taeyong crossed his arms.

“So we're thinking this girl was raped and killed in her own home?” he asked. Jaehyun shrugged.

“If the perp is a parent, it explains why there's no report” he stated.

“And if she's not in school, she's the perfect victim. Nobody outside the family would even know she's missing” Donghyuck added. Yuta huffed.

“We don't even know where she's missing from” he reminded. Taeyong hummed.

“The garbage might tell us. The lab should have gone through it by now” he mused before he looked over at Jaehyun and Donghyuck

“Jaehyun, Donghyuck, the quicker we get her picture out there, quicker somebody recognizes her” he stated. Jaehyun and Donghyuck nodded, turning and heading out of the precinct.

~*~*~*~*~

“Meet Cherish Doe” Dr. Choi Vernon, forensic anthropologist, stated as he walked through his lab, Jaehyun and Donghyuck following him.

“What, Jane Doe's not good enough?” Jaehyun asked. Vernon huffed.

“It's too impersonal. A cute little girl with braids deserves something better, don't you think?” he replied as he walked over and placed one of the x-rays on the light box.

“Femur length, plus the lack of epiphyseal plate fusion, I'd say Cherish can't be more than six” he explained. Donghyuck raised an eyebrow.

“So were you able to get prints?” he asked. 

“Still working on it” Vernon replied. Jaehyun crossed his arms.

“Wanna share?” he asked. Vernon sighed before he walked over to a fridge with a biohazard label on it.

“The fingertips were too shriveled” he explained as he pulled out a jar with a young girl’s hand in it. Donghyuck took a deep breath to control his gag before he looked at Vernon.

“So you cut her hands off” he deadpanned. Vernon shook his head.

“I disarticulated them. They're soaking in embalming fluid to reinflate the tissue, hopefully enough to roll a print” he replied. 

~*~*~*~*~

In the lab, CSU Technician Lee Minho looked over at Yuta and Sicheng, who came to check on him.

“You guys owe me big time” he grumbled. Sicheng raised an eyebrow.

“You find an address in all that swill?” he asked. Minho shook his head.

“No, but I did find an unusual amount of fast food wrappers, coffee cups, fish scraps and stained cotton balls” he replied, motioning to a couple of the trash bags. Sicheng frowned.

“Cotton balls?” he repeated. 

“From a nail salon” Minho answered. Yuta hummed.

“Yeah, which apparently shares a dumpster with a burger joint, a coffee shop and a fish market. That leaves, what, only a couple dozen places for us to check out?” he asked. Sicheng huffed.

“How many city blocks we gonna have to walk?” he asked, looking over at Minho.

“None, if you can manage to drag your asses over to the computer. I've plugged you your coffee shops, burger joints, fish markets, nail salons into the zoning and business permit databases” Minho replied. Yuta hummed.

“Well, that’s convinent” he murmured. Minho nodded.

“Now we eliminate areas where all the variables don't coexist in close proximity” he stated. Sicheng crossed his arms, thinking.

“Well, the garbage plant's way uptown and the manager says they only pick up dumpsters from north of 96th Street” he explained. Minho nodded.

“No problem. In goes the information…” he started, typing in the information before the computer beeped.

“And out comes one location. 123rd and Lenox. There we go” he declared.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Sicheng and Yuta arrived at the addressed, Yuta nodding in victory.

“Bingo! Burger Land. Nail salon” he declared. Sicheng hummed.

“There's Letty's Coffee Shop and the back of the fish market” he continued before he groaned.

“Why do we always get the trash detail?” he demanded. 

“'Cause we're the right men for the job. PIus we've got the will and we got the skill” Yuta replied as he walked over to one of the dumpster and hopped up, placing one leg over the edge of the lip of the dumpster to give him a perch. He then scowered the dumpster before he found something.

“BIoody bed sheet” he called out, making Sicheng walk over and look at what Yuta was holding up.

“You think the bastard wrapped her body in it?” he hissed. Yuta nodded.

“Mmm-hmm. All those windows up there, maybe somebody saw him” he mused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	61. Case 9: Dolls - Part 3

A little while later, Donghyuck and Jaehyun walked into a nearby bar to meet Sicheng and Yuta.

“CSU have any luck with the dumpster?” Jaehyun asked as he and Donghyuck sat down.

“The blood type on the bed sheets match the victim. That's it” Yuta replied.

“Nothing on the canvass, either” Sicheng added. Donghyuck sighed.

“Maybe our car will improve once we get these on the street” he mused, looking at the victim sheet that they had gotten from Vernon. Yuta then looked up at the tv in the bar, frowning.

“Looks like somebody beat us to it” he stated, making Sicheng, Donghyuck, and Jaehyun look over at the tv as well.

“Police today are searching for the killer...of this little girl, found in this Upper Manhattan garbage plant. The only clue to the killer's identity, Iong blonde hairs found in the victim's lifeless grasp” the news reporter stated. Donghyuck’s eyes widened.

“How the hell did they get that? Somebody gave them the fiber. That detail was our hold-back” he growled. Sicheng sighed.

“Now when every nut in town starts making false confessions, we got no way to screen them out” he grumbled. Donghyuck groaned and placed his head in his hands.

“Lovely” he groaned.

~*~*~*~*~

A few hours later, Donghyuck, Jaehyun, Sicheng, and Yuta headed back to SVU, where Taeyong was waiting for them.

“So, how’d it go?” he asked. Donghyuck sighed.

“We must've passed out a couple hundred flyers. Nobody recognized her” he grumbled. Taeyong crossed his arms.

“Are we wrong thinking she's from the neighborhood?” he asked. Jaehyun shrugged.

“Maybe he is. He stored her body for a month or two, he dumps her in a place close to his house. I mean, where's he gonna go with her?” he replied. Taeyong hummed.

“Sounds like he's in his comfort zone. Paroled sex offenders?” he inquired. Donghyuck sighed.

“We checked. No pedophiles registered in the area” he replied. 

“Who says he's registered? We don't even know if the perp's a stranger or the little girl's parent” Sicheng grumbled. Donghyuck shrugged.

“Or someone wearing a wig” he offered. 

“We canvassed. Nobody remembers seeing a little black girl with a guy with blond hair” Yuta added, just as a police officer walked over to Taeyong and handed him a piece of paper.

“Well, I guess that leak to the media paid off. Community Relations just called, there's a candlelight vigil tonight for Cherish Doe” he declared. Donghyuck crossed his arms.

“How many times have we collared predators at their victims' funerals?” he asked. 

“Let's flush him out. Make sure he sees us, maybe we'll see him” he declared. Taeyong nodded before he looked at his detectives and husband.

“You all be safe” he ordered. Jaehyun and the others nodded before Jaehyun looked back at him.

“You too” he instructed. 

~*~*~*~*~

At Morningside Baptist Church, a large group of people were gathered outside as the pastor spoke and the SVU squad canvased the group.

“Cherish Doe, we gather here to remember you. A sweet, innocent child, stolen from life too soon. We stand here tonight as your family, until your own family is found” Rev. Allistair declared.

“It's all clear over here. Hyung?” Sicheng asked from where he was on the right side of the crowd.

“We will not forget—” Rev. Allistair continued as Jaehyun lifted his mic to his mouth.

“Nothing on this side” he replied.

“And we will not rest until justice is done. I call upon you to search your memory and your conscience. Anything you recall will be welcomed by the police” Rev. Allistair finished before he passed off the mic to Taeyong, who stood before the crowd.

“Thank you for your support. We need every single lead that you can provide. Now if you recognize Cherish Doe, please call us. APD has set up a confidential tip line. We don't need your names, but we do need your information” he stated as in a van near the vigil, Yuta and Donghyuck were sitting with TARU Technician Kim Seungmin.

“Did you get anything yet?” Yuta asked. Seungmin shook his head.

“So far, no hits on the facial recognition software” he replied. Donghyuck crossed his arms.

“What's your database?” he replied.

“All known sex offenders citywide whose victims were under 10. Osaki's suggestion” Seungmin replied. Yuta huffed.

“Yeah, but there's no guarantee his mug shot's in there. I mean, some guys molest dozens of kids before they're caught” he mused. Donghyuck glared over at him.

“Your positive attitude's a real joy, hyung” he grumbled before he looked at the camera and frowned.

“What's up with that Iady in the blue? Why is she looking around like that?” he murmured before he pointed to the computer.

“Zoom in on that lady, right there” he instructed. Seungmin nodded and zoomed in on the woman’s face.

“Got her” he declared. Donghyuck frowned before he huffed.

“Something ain't right. I'll be right back” he declared, walking away from Seungmin and Yuta. He then exited the van and walked through the crowd until he found the woman who was in the blue shirt.

“Detective Lee. Can I help you?” he asked. The woman looked at him with teary eyes.

“I can't find my daughter” she replied. Donghyuck nodded.

“Okay, let's go to the front and make a missing child announcement” he assured, taking the woman arm when the woman shook her head.

“No, no. I don't mean here, not tonight” she replied. Donghyuck frowned.

“When?” he asked. The woman shook her head again.

“I don't know when. I'm not sure when” she replied. Donghyuck frowned before he nodded slowly.

“Okay, okay. What's your name?” he asked. The woman sniffled.

“Violet Tremain. I saw Cherish Doe on the news, I had to come here...She may be my little girl. She looks just like my Nina” she explained, pulling out a photo for Donghyuck to see. Donghyuck took the picture and looked at it before he looked at Violet with wide eyes.

~*~*~*~*~

After looking at the photo, Donghyuck took Violet back to the precinct to question her.

“I just came back tonight. I was gone for five months upstate” he explained. Donghyuck raised an eyebrow.

“Doing time?” he asked. Violet shook her head.

“No, I... I was in rehab. I'm not a crack addict, if that's what you think. I'm a painter and I do graphic design to pay the bills” she explained. Donghyuck shook his head.

“I’m not judging you” he assured. Violet sighed shakily.

“We were in a car accident. My husband, Nina's father, was killed and...I messed up my back and I couldn't work without painkillers. I got hooked, but I'm clean now, four months” she explained. Donghyuck nodded slowly.

“ACS took your daughter away” he inferred. Violet nodded.

“I knew if I put Nina in foster care I might not get her back. So I left her with a neighbor” she explained. Donghyuck huffed.

“Well, that shows a lot of trust to leave your daughter with a neighbor” he mused. 

“Mrs. Hawkins was like a grandmother to Nina, she watched her ever since she was a baby and never took a penny. She loved Nina” Violet assured. Donghyuck raised an eyebrow.

“You check in on her?” he asked. Violet shook her head.

“I couldn't call from rehab, so I wrote letters. I started to worry when a letter I sent Iast week was returned. And then I saw the news” she explained. 

“And you checked out of rehab” Donghyuck deadpanned. Violet shook her head.

“No, I just left. I called Mrs. Hawkins, the phone was disconnected. I called another neighbor, she said Mrs. Hawkins was dead. She passed away six weeks ago. And no one knew what happened to Nina” she choked. Donghyuck sighed.

“Tell me more about Nina. How old is she?” he asked.

“She's five. Her birthday was last month. She's smart. She can't wait to start school. She's playing all the time. The child has a lot of energy” Violet explained. Donghyuck was quiet before he sighed and looked at her.

“She like to jump rope?” he asked. Violet nodded.

“Yeah, all the time” she replied. Donghyuck took a deep breath.

“What about the dentist? When was her last checkup?” he asked. Violet shook her head.

“A couple of years. I freelance and my husband didn't...he didn't have dental insurance” she explained before she took a shuddering breath.

“It's my Nina, isn't it?” she croaked. Donghyuck shook his head.

“We don't know that for sure” he soothed. Violet shook her head before she stood to her feet.

“Well, I have to see her” she declared. Donghyuck shook his head and held out a hand.

“No, no...No sense in getting ahead of ourselves, okay? Somebody probably took her in and didn't know how to get in touch with you” he soothed. 

“Then we have to look for her” Violet exclaimed. Donghyuck shook his head again.

“It's after 12:00. There's nothing we can do right now. How can I get in touch with you tomorrow?” he asked. Violet shook her head.

“I don't know, I haven't figured that out yet” she replied. Donghyuck looked at her before he smiled slightly.

“Don't worry, I'll take care of that” he assured.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	62. Case 9: Dolls - Part 4

“Violet's telling the truth” Donghyuck declared. Yuta looked over at him and huffed.

“ _"Junkies lie all the time."_ Your words” he reminded. Donghyuck glared over at him.

“You didn't talk to her” he snapped. Sicheng crossed his arms.

“Then let her see the body” he stated. Donghyuck gave him a look.

“The child had no face. No mother can handle that” he argued. Yuta sighed.

“Sounds like you're lacking a little objectivity” he mused. Donghyuck frowned.

“Why? 'Cause I'm not handling things your way?” he sneered. Sicheng shook his head.

“No, it’s because the department doesn't have a budget for Violet's hotel room. You're paying for it, aren't you?” he asked. Donghyuck growled, eyes glowing purple.

“So what?” he spat. Sicheng and Yuta both crossed their arms, looking at their youngest member.

“Why?” Yuta asked. Donghyuck took a deep breath, trying not to lose his shit.

“Look, somebody knows who took Nina after Mrs. Hawkins died. We've gotta canvass her neighborhood. Let's go” he ordered, turning and heading towards the door. Sicheng sighed.

“I still think you ought to let her view the body” he replied. Donghyuck rolled his eyes before he turned and walked out of the bullpen, only to feel as though he wasn’t being followed. He then turned to see Sicheng and Yuta standing in the door, both men looking at him with raised eyebrows.

“Are either of you coming or what?!” he exclaimed. Yuta huffed.

“How do you even know she has a kid? Maybe she's using Cherish Doe for a handout” he mused. Donghyuck growled before he reached into his file and pulled out a sheet of paper, storming over to Sicheng and Yuta, handing it to them.

**“I pulled the birth certificate myself. So back off”** he spat, eyes glowing bright purple. Just then, Taeyong and Jaehyun came out, confusion on their faces.

“What’s going on here?” Jaehyun asked. Donghyuck growled, purple electricity beginning to crackle around him.

**“I’m close to starting a fucking fight if they don’t get out of my face”** he spat, pointing at Yuta and Sicheng. Taeyong sighed and walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Look, why don't you and I go canvass Mrs. Hawkins' building?” he soothed, looking at Donghyuck. Jaehyun nodded.

“Good idea. We got dozens of new leads in last night; Yuta, Sicheng and I will prioritize and assign them out” he replied. Taeyong nodded before he looked over at Donghyuck.

“Come on” he murmured. Donghyuck nodded, turning and following after his boss while Jaehyun, Sicheng, and Yuta headed back inside. As they were walking away, Taeyong reached out and petted the back of Donghyuck’s head.

“Haechan, you can’t lose your cool like that. Winwin and Yuta are just looking out for you” he murmured. Donghyuck nodded.

“I know…I didn’t mean to snap” he apologized. Taeyong smiled.

“I know you didn’t. Just apologize to them later, okay?” he suggested. Donghyuck nodded.

“Okay, hyung” he replied.

~*~*~*~*~

“OId lady died a month and a half ago, heart attack, on her way home from the market” the landlord explained as he led Donghyuck and Taeyong to Mrs. Hawkin’s apartment.

“Nina with her?” Taeyong asked. The landlord hummed.

“Smart little girl, called 911 from a payphone” he replied before he stopped before an apartment door.

“Here it is, 3B” he declared. He then opened the door and stepped inside, Donghyuck and Taeyong following him.

“Who cleaned this place out?” Donghyuck asked. 

“Salvation Army” the landlord replied. Taeyong frowned.

“You called them?” he asked. The landlord shook his head.

“Mrs. Hawkins' daughter did. Said everything in here was junk, told me to let them in” he explained. Taeyong crossed his arms.

“Okay, and what about Nina? Mrs. Hawkins' daughter take her?” he inquired. The landlord scoffed.

“Yeah, right. She said just because her mama took in strays didn't mean she had to. Said the child was my problem” he explained. Donghyuck frowned.

“You try to reach Nina's mother?” he asked. The landlord looked over at him and shook his head.

“Violet never said where she was going. What could I do? I had to send her to Child Welfare, hope for the best” he answered. Donghyuck let out a soft groan before he looked over at Taeyong, who also had a look of annoyance on his face.

~*~*~*~*~

At the Administration for Children’s Services, one of the case workers, Mrs. Preston, led Taeyong and Donghyuck thorugh the office.

“All Nina could tell me was that her mother went away. Mrs. Tremain didn't leave any names or phone numbers of any of her relatives. Under the circumstances, we had to classify Nina as an abandoned child” she explained. Donghyuck shook his head.

“Nina's mother didn't abandon her. She voluntarily entered into a rehab program” he growled. Mrs. Preston shook her head.

“Well, then she should have come to us instead of leaving her child with an elderly neighbor in failing health. We could have placed Nina voluntarily while Violet was away” she explained. Taeyong huffed.

“Your agency doesn't always make it easy for parents to get their children back” he reminded. 

“Well, children are often better off in foster care than they are being raised by addicts” Mrs. Preston countered. Donghyuck crossed his arms.

“Violet's cleaned up and she wants her daughter back” he stated. Mrs. Preston huffed.

“Yeah. Well, that's for the courts to decide. Mrs. Tremain's gonna have to prove that she can provide a stable home environment before we can release Nina” she replied. Taeyong crossed his arms.

“Where’s Nina living?” he asked. Mrs. Preston looked at him.

“I won't release that information if you're planning to take the mother on an unauthorized home visit” she answered. Donghyuck growled, eyes glowing purple as he summoned the photo of Cherish Doe, shoving it in Mrs. Preston’s face.

 **“You see the resemblance to Nina Tremain? This little girl was raped, murdered and tossed in a dumpster. Don't get in my way, Iady”** he warned. Mrs. Preston looked at him with wide eyes before she went through her files and found Nina’s case file.

“I placed her with Thelma Price” she answered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	63. Case 9: Dolls - Part 5

A little while later, Taeyong and Donghyuck headed to Themla Price’s apartment, Taeyong knocking on the woman’s door.

“Mrs. Price?” Taeyong asked when the door opened and a middle-aged black woman answered it.

“Yes?” Mrs. Price replied. Taeyong then showed his badge.

“I'm Captain Lee. This is Detective Lee. We'd like to talk to you about Nina Tremain” he explained. Mrs. Price shook her head.

“She's not here” she replied. Donghyuck frowned.

“Where is she?” he asked. Mrs. Price shrugged.

“I don't know. Ask Children's Services” she replied. Taeyong frowned.

“They said that they placed her with you” he stated. 

“You don't believe me? Take a look” Mrs. Price instructed, stepping out of the way to let Donghyuck and Taeyong into her apartment.

“That child was nothing but trouble. Hyperactive, no manners, always making a mess” she explained as she led the detectives inside. 

“Well, when did they take her?” Taeyong inquired. Mrs. Price shrugged as she got up on a chair to start cleaning her dining room chandelier.

“Must have been over a month ago” she replied. Donghyuck frowned.

“Then why did Nina's case worker tell us you had her?” he demanded. Mrs. Price shook her head.

“Hell if I know. That woman is lazy. Never makes a home visit” she explained. Donghyuck crossed his arms, frowning.

“Well, I find it hard to believe Mrs. Preston would forget to tell us she took Nina” he mused. Mrs. Price looked at him.

“She didn't take her. It was some white guy with dark hair” she explained. Taeyong and Donghyuck looked at each other before Taeyong looked at Mrs. Price.

“Did you get his name?” he asked. Mrs. Price looked over at him.

“I told you it was a month ago. You expect me to remember that?” she asked. 

~*~*~*~*~

After leaving Mrs. Price’s apartment, Taeyong and Donghyuck headed back to the Children’s Service office.

“When was the last time you saw Nina Tremain?” Taeyong asked, standing before Mrs. Preston. Mrs. Preston looked at him before she turned towards her computer.

“I'm gonna have to check the file” she replied.

“You got a memory problem?” Donghyuck snapped as he snatched one of the files off Mrs. Preston’s desk.

“I think it was last week” Mrs. Preston replied. Taeyong tsked.

“Wrong answer” he snarled as Donghyuck handed him the file. Mrs. Preston paled before she cleared her throat.

“It's possible that I missed a visit” she stated. Donghyuck scoffed.

“Or more than one” he sneered. Mrs. Preston looked at him before he looked over at Taeyong.

“Even if I did, it's hardly a police matter” she stated. Donghyuck shook his head.

“Wrong again” he spat as Taeyong looked at the file.

“Well, when you can't make a visit, you ever send a colleague to cover? A guy, maybe?” he asked. Mrs. Preston shook her head.

“No, never” she replied. Taeyong raised an eyebrow.

“No? Then can you explain why your records say that you visited her Iast Tuesday, and Thelma Price says you didn't” he asked. Mrs. Preston scoffed.

“That woman's a liar” she spat. 

**“You're the liar, Iady!”** Donghyuck roared, eyes glowing purple. 

“Hey, I want my union rep” Mrs. Preston declared. Taeyong snarled as he leaned down, getting into Mrs. Preston’s face, his own eyes glowing red.

**“Yeah? Well, why don't you tell your union rep that Nina Tremain is missing and that you haven't seen her in six weeks. You were responsible for this child's safety, and you didn't even bother to check on her”** he snarled. Mrs. Preston looked at him and Donghyuck, both of their eyes glowing, before she shook her head.

“This is not my fault” she declared.

**“Whose fault is it?”** Donghyuck demanded. Mrs. Preston shot to her feet.

“Do you know what my job is like? How big of a caseload I have? There's no way I can see every child!” she exclaimed. Taeyong snarled as black smoke began to curl around him while purple electricity began to crackle around Donghyuck.

**“If you're looking for sympathy, you're barking up the wrong fucking tree”** Taeyong spat before he and Donghyuck turned, walking out of Mrs. Preston’s office; everyone in the office getting out of their way.

“Thelma Price was a good foster mother. I thought Nina would be all right!” Mrs. Preston exclaimed as she ran to the door of her office, watching Taeyong and Donghyuck walk away.

~*~*~*~*~

“How could they let someone just walk off with my child?” Violet demanded as Donghyuck stood in her hotel room. Donghyuck shook his head, now calm and collected.

“We don't know, but we're doing everything we can to find him. Now I need your help” he stated. Violet looked at him.

“Anything” she replied. 

“Do you have something with Nina's fingerprints on it?” Donghyuck asked. Violet was quiet before a thought struck her.

“We draw together all the time. I keep her pictures with me. I guess it's like having her here” she explained as she walked over to her bed and grabbed a large roll of construction paper drawings, taking off the rubber band before handing the pictures to Donghyuck.

“Please be careful, they're all I have” she explained. Donghyuck nodded as he took the pictures.

“We'll take good care of them, I promise” he replied before he began to look through the pictures before he found one particularly interesting.

“Violet, is this Nina's handprint?” he asked, pulling out the picture to show Violet. Violet looked at it and nodded.

“Yeah. We made that together Iast Thanksgiving” she replied. Donghyuck looked at it before he nodded.

“I’m going to take this. I promise to bring it back” he assured, placing the other pictures down on the bed before he turned and walked out of the hotel room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	64. Case 9: Dolls - Part 6

“The mother authenticates that it's the child's handprint. Will it work?” Taeyong asked as he showed Minho the drawing. Minho shrugged.

“Let's see” he replied as he took the drawing and placed it down on the scanner, scanning the drawing into the machine.

“Vernon sent the hand over, it's finally ready to print. Couldn't ask for better” he continued as he took the hand that was soaked in embalming fluid and placed it on the scanner, scanning the prints in. 

“People did their jobs, this wouldn't have happened” Donghyuck grumbled as Minho shook his head.

“Sorry guys, prints don't match” he declared. Donghyuck and Taeyong looked at him in shock.

“Are you sure?” Donghyuck asked. 

“They’re not even close” Minho stated as he superimposed the two handprints on top of one another before turning the computer to show Taeyong and Donghyuck to show that they don’t match.

“So Nina's not the dead girl” Donghyuck whispered.

~*~*~*~*~

“Nina Tremain might still be alive” Taeyong declared as he and Donghyuck walked back into the SVU bullpen. Sicheng huffed.

“Two little girls, look like sisters, from the same neighborhood, tell me that's a coincidence” he grumbled.

“Same guy that killed Cherish might have Nina” Donghyuck mused. Taeyong looked over at him.

“Are we sure it's the same guy? He's got dark hair when he took Nina and a blonde wig when he killed Cherish” he reminded. Yuta shrugged.

“Well, maybe he played dress-up before he killed her” he mused.

“Maybe it's not even a blonde wig we're looking for” Sicheng added.

“I gotta tell Violet that Cherish Doe isn't her daughter” Donghyuck declared, just as Jaehyun walked out of his and Taeyong’s office.

“Cherish's real name is Susie Marshall” he called out, making everyone look over at him.

“How'd you get that?” Donghyuck demanded. 

“Computer kicked out a match to a KidPrint card on file. Grandmother had her printed during Safety Week” Jaehyun replied.

~*~*~*~*~

At Eleanor Marshall’s home, Yuta and Sicheng sat before her and explained to her how they found her.

“I always thought this day would come, but not to hear my grandbaby is dead. I thought it would be Ronnie” she choked, as she turned and wheeled herself away from Yuta and Sicheng. Sicheng frowned.

“Who?” he asked as he and Yuta followed after her.

“My daughter. The junkie” Eleanor answered as she wheeled herself over to the fireplace and took a picture of Susie off the mantle.

“That’s why you were taking care of Susie?” Yuta asked gently. Eleanor was quiet as she looked at Susie’s picture before she shook her head.

“Ronnie'd ask me to baby-sit her for a night and disappear for months. Then she'd come home clean and sober, and beg me to give Susie back. And this last time I agreed, because I thought that Ronnie had finally straightened herself out” she explained as she took Susie’s picture out of the picture frame and handed it to Yuta, who looked at it before handing it over to Sicheng.

“When did you last see your granddaughter?” Sicheng asked. Eleanor was quiet before she looked at him.

“About five or six months ago” she answered. Yuta and Sicheng frowned.

“Weren't you worried because it had been so long?” Yuta asked. Eleanor looked over at him before she shook her head.

“Honestly, I was relieved. Ronnie came by and told me that a man from Child Welfare had taken her away” she explained. Yuta and Sicheng looked at each other before they looked down at Eleanor and thanked her for her time.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at SVU, Yuta and Sicheng told Jaehyun and Taeyong what Eleanor told them, making Taeyong frown.

“A perfect stranger shows up at your door, says he's a social worker, and you just turn over your kid without a second thought?” he asked. Jaehyun shrugged.

“Predator profiles his victims, the kids come from a chaotic household, he knows they're not gonna question him” he explained.

“Posing as a social worker is the perfect cover” Yuta added. Sicheng huffed.

“Well, that's true for Nina, but ACS has no record of contacting Susie Marshall or her mother. There's gotta be another connection” he murmured. Taeyong huffed as he walked over to the cork board and pinned Susie’s picture above Ronnie’s picture.

“Well, take your pick. Our perv either knows the kids or their mothers. What do we know about the fathers?” he asked. Jaehyun crossed his arms.

“Well, we know Nina's father is dead and Susie's father went back to Jamaica” he replied as Taeyong looked over at Donghyuck.

“We got a rap sheet on Ronnie Marshall yet?” he asked.

“String of arrests, collared for shoplifting three years ago” Donghyuck answered.

“Last known whereabouts, strung out on the street” Yuta added. Taeyong sighed.

“Then we got to go back to Violet. Show her pictures of Ronnie and Susie. Maybe she can connect the dots” he instructed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	65. Case 9: Dolls - Part 7

“I'd remember this girl. She looks just like my Nina. I'm sorry” Violet explained as she sat before Jaehyun and Donghyuck. Donghyuck nodded before he handed Violet a picture of Ronnie.

“How about this woman?” he asked. Violet nodded as she looked at the photo.

“That scar. I've seen her before” she whispered. Donghyuck frowned.

“Where?” he asked. 

“An NA meeting. I remember thinking someone cut up her face” Violet answered. Jaehyun crossed his arms.

“Which NA meetings did you go to?” he asked, making Violet look over at him.

“Five o'clock at the Community Center, St. Virgil's on Tuesdays, a few others when the urge hit” she explained. Jaehyun sighed.

“Well, the whole point of NA is total confidentiality, it's first names only. They're not gonna talk to us” he murmured. Donghyuck then looked over at Violet.

“I bet they'd talk to you” he mused. Violet looked over at him and frowned.

“What do you mean?” she asked. Donghyuck shrugged.

“Your story might convince a 12-stepper to open up. You in?” he asked.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Outside, Mark looked over at Taeyong, frowning.

“What's he doing?” he asked. 

_“_ _I'd do anything to get my baby back”_ Violet answered. Taeyong then knocked on the window before he looked back at Mark.

“Whatever it takes to find Nina” he replied. Mark shook his head.

“I'll do anything _I_ can to help. But I'm not gonna put a civilian in the middle of a criminal investigation” he argued, just as Jaehyun and Donghyuck walked into Jaehyun and Taeyong’s office. Mark then pointed at Donghyuck.

“Whatever you're thinking, don't” he instructed. Donghyuck groaned.

“Mark, Violet's our only way in” he exclaimed. Mark crossed his arms.

“Violet would be acting as an agent of the police. Any evidence she obtains could be excluded in court” he reminded. Donghyuck crossed his arms as well, standing before Mark.

“We're not looking for evidence, _Counselor_ , we're looking for a lead. Nina Tremain might still be alive” he snapped. Mark looked at him before he sighed.

“We're talking about violating the confidentiality of a drug treatment program” he reminded. Jaehyun then crossed his arms.

“Mark, we know that what we’re doing is a bit, unconventional, but I don't see how making an appeal could hurt” he stated. Mark looked at him before he looked over at Donghyuck.

“I would prefer to get the information through legal channels. I'll get a subpoena” he assured before he turned and headed towards the door. Taeyong frowned.

“For what? NA doesn't keep membership lists or records” he stated. 

“You want to tell that woman you care more about the law than the life of her child? She's living a parent's worst nightmare. You think I really had to run a number on her?” Donghyuck snarled. Mark looked at him before he sighed heavily and nodded.

“All right. But the only way we do this is the right way” he instructed. Taeyong and Jaehyun nodded.

“Open meetings only” Taeyong agreed as Jaehyun pointed at Donghyuck.

“Disclose your presence and don't let Violet out of your sight” he instructed. Donghyuck nodded before he turned and headed out of the office, Mark following after him.

“Sorry Mark” Donghyuck murmured. Mark smiled.

“Don’t apologize. I like that you’re passionate about this” he replied. Donghyuck flashed him a smile before he looked over at Yuta.

“You coming hyung?” he called out. Yuta smiled and pushed himself to his feet.

“Don’t have to ask me twice, kid” he replied, walking over to Donghyuck and ruffling his hair. Donghyuck smiled before he leaned against him.

“Sorry about earlier” he apologized. Mark frowned.

“What happened earlier?” he asked.

“Haechan basically lost his shit” Sicheng answered as he walked over to Yuta and Donghyuck. Donghyuck raised an eyebrow.

“Are you coming hyung?” he asked. Sicheng smiled.

“Hell yeah” he answered. Donghyuck grinned before he, Mark, Yuta, and Sicheng walked out of SVU.

~*~*~*~*~

At the Narcotics Anonymous meeting at St. Virgil’s, Violet stood before the members.

“The Ninth Step says, we have to make amends to those harmed by our addiction. Well I... I harmed my baby. Because I got high, I couldn't take care of Nina, and some monster kidnapped her. I have to find Ronnie Marshall. I think she's been here before, and she might have some information” she stated. One of the members then raised their hands.

“Ain't that against the rules?” he asked. Violet sniffled.

“The only way I can get my little girl back is with your help. I have to find Ronnie. This is her picture” she stated, as one of the other members passed out Ronnie’s photo.

“The same freak who stole my Nina murdered her daughter. Time is running out. If you know anything, I am begging you to tell me” she sobbed. After one of the members looked at Ronnie’s picture, he got up and quickly left, making Donghyuck, Sicheng, and Yuta, who were sitting among the members look over at him before Donghyuck shot to his feet and rushed after the man.

“Hey, what's the rush?” he called out. 

“None of your business” the man snapped. Donghyuck snarled as he began to walk faster.

“No, trust me, it's my business” he snapped back.

“I got nothing to say” the man replied.

“Then why are you running like a little scared rabbit?” Donghyuck demanded, grabbing the man’s arm, stopping him.

“I don't know nothing about no missing kids” the man replied, turning to look at Donghyuck. Donghyuck raised an eyebrow.

“But you do know Ronnie Marshall” he deadpanned. The man shook his head.

“I don't have to tell you anything. I respect people's confidentiality” he replied before he wrenched his arm out of Donghyuck’s grasp and began walking again.

“How about respect for the dead? You think Ronnie wants to attend her own daughter's funeral?” Donghyuck snapped. The man stopped before he turned to look at Donghyuck.

“This is for real? It's not a scam?” he asked. Donghyuck nodded.

“You got my word” he promised. The man shook his head.

“I don't know, man, people won't trust me if I talk to a cop” he explained. Donghyuck shook his head.

“We never talked” he assured. The man looked at him before he sighed.

“A place Ronnie and I used to get high. The Starlite Lounge” he stated. Donghyuck nodded before he clapped the man on the shoulder, turning away from him and walking over to Sicheng and Yuta.

~*~*~*~*~

“Oh, yeah. Ronnie used to come in” the owner of the Starlight Lounge, Jake, stated. Donghyuck frowned as he and Violet stood before him. Yuta and Sicheng went back to SVU, instructing Donghyuck to stay safe before they left.

“Used to?” Donghyuck asked. Jake nodded as he grabbed a box of beer bottles off of one of the cabinets in the changing room.

“A while back. Threw her out for shooting up in the can. Haven't seen her since” he explained.

“Do you know where we can find her?” Violet asked. Jake shook his head as he headed up the stairs to the bar.

“I don't get personal with the customers. They pay, they drink, they leave” he explained.

“Any customers talk to Ronnie?” Donghyuck asked as he and Violet followed him up the stairs.

“Only guys who were drunk enough to think she looked good. She'd go with a leper for the price of a fix” Jake explained. Donghyuck huffed and crossed his arms.

“Any lepers around here?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. Jake was quiet before he walked over to the bar and set his box of beers down before he smacked one of the patrons.

“Hey, Pat! You banged that skanky chick once, right? Ronnie? The one with the scar?” he asked as Donghyuck showed him Ronnie’s photo. The patron, Pat, groaned.

“Don't remind me. This bitch boosted my wallet” he grumbled. Donghyuck crossed his arms as he placed the photo back in his jacket.

“You go to her place?” he asked. Pat shook his head.

“Woman's shelter don't allow guests. We did it in an alley” he replied. 

“You know which shelter?” Donghyuck asked, raising an eyebrow.

~*~*~*~*~

At Helping Hearts Women’s Shelter, Donghyuck and Violet searched the beds, looking for Ronnie.

“You see Ronnie anywhere?” Donghyuck asked. Violet shook her head.

“No” she replied before she recognized a woman.

“Wait. There she is. This is Ronnie” she whispered, walking over to one of the bed. Donghyuck looked over at the bed before he walked over to it and shone his flashlight on the woman.

“Ronnie Marshall?” he asked. The woman let out a groan.

“Leave me alone. I have a couple more hours” she mumbled. 

“Wake up, Ronnie” Donghyuck snapped. Ronnie let out a groan before she turned her head and looked up at Donghyuck.

“Who the hell are you?” she demanded as she sat up. Donghyuck smirked.

“I’m a cop” he replied. Ronnie shook her head.

“I didn't do nothing” she replied before she motioned to Violet.

“Who’s she?” she asked. Violet dipped her head.

“I'm Violet. I'm looking for my daughter, and I need your help” she explained. Ronnie smirked.

“Cost you twenty bucks, I'll help you all you want” she replied. Donghyuck snarled.

“We've got no time for games. We think the same man took your daughter” he snapped. Ronnie shook her head.

“No. No. Social worker took my baby” she stated. Donghyuck shook his head.

“That man wasn't a social worker” he deadpanned. Ronnie raised an eyebrow and looked over at him.

“Oh, no? Who was he?” she asked. Donghyuck looked at her before he sighed and sat down on the bed next to her.

“Look, I'm sorry, but Susie's dead. We found her body two days ago” he whispered. Ronnie huffed.

“She's better off” she murmured. Violet and Donghyuck looked at her in shock as Donghyuck’s eyes began to glow purple.

“That's how much you care about your little girl? Come on, get your ass up. Come on. Let's go” he spat, grabbing Ronnie by the arm before leading her out of the women’s center.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	66. Case 9: Dolls - Part 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The introduction of Shotaro!!

At the precinct, Donghyuck walked over to the holding cell, holding a cup of orange juice.

“You look like crap, Ronnie” he murmured as Ronnie quickly got up off the bench and walked over to the cell door.

“When are you gonna let me out of here?” she asked as Donghyuck handed her the orange juice.

“Orange juice. You're gonna need it” he stated. Ronnie quickly downed it before she looked over at Donghyuck.

“What do you want from me?” she asked. Donghyuck crossed his arms.

“Description of the man who took Susie for a sketch artist” he stated. Ronnie shook her head.

“I can't remember back that far. Can I go now, huh?” she asked. Donghyuck sighed as he held up a small bag full of white powder.

“Look, I found your works. You don't cooperate, I'm gonna bust you” he explained calmly. Ronnie shook her head, glaring at him.

“What is your problem?” she demanded. 

“Your daughter's dead and there's not one cell in your junkie body that gives a damn” Donghyuck snapped as he opened the holding cell door and stepped inside, walking over to her.

“That man who took my daughter was right; I'm not fit to be a mom. Susie deserved more than me. Now she's gone, and there's nothing that I can do that's gonna change that” Ronnie spat. Donghyuck shook his head.

“You could help us save this other little girl. Make it right for Susie” he offered. Ronnie looked at him as he sighed.

“We got to get a description of this guy. You can do this” he urged. Ronnie looked at him before she burst into tears and began to sob.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Taeyong and Jaehyun walked over to Thelma, Violet, and Donghyuck.

“Thelma, Ronnie worked this up with a sketch artist. Does this look like the man who took Nina?” Taeyong asked, holding up the sketch for Thelma to look at. Thelma nodded.

“That's him” she agreed as Ronnie walked over to them and hopped up on an unused desk.

“There's got to be a connection between this guy and the three of you” Donghyuck urged as Jaehyun looked over at Ronnie and Violet.

“So both Ronnie and Violet went to the same NA meeting. Thelma, have you ever been to one?” he asked, looking over at Thelma. Thelma shook her head.

“Never” she replied. Donghyuck hummed.

“Maybe it wasn't the meetings, but where they were held” he mused before he looked over at Violet.

“Ronnie and I both went to St. Virgil's” Violet explained. Donghyuck then looked over at Thelma.

“You go to that church, Thelma?” he asked. Thelma shook her head.

“No, First Baptist” she replied. 

“How about Haven House?” Violet asked. Thelma shook her head again.

“Never been there” she replied as Taeyong looked at Ronnie.

“Ronnie, can you think of anyplace else? Anywhere at all?” he asked. Ronnie shook her head.

“Not really” she replied. Jaehyun huffed.

“Come on, think. Where did this guy see you?” he demanded. Ronnie hummed, thinking.

“Maybe at the Community Center on Eighth Ave. I stopped in there a couple times” she stated.

“I go there for Bingo Night. Nina liked their playroom” Thelma added as Violet gasped.

“Oh, God, I went to meetings there. I took Nina with me” she whispered. 

~*~*~*~*~

At Eight Ave Community Center, Donghyuck showed the sketch to the Community Center Director, Barbra.

“He cut his hair and shaved his beard, and he never wore glasses, but it could be Terry Jessup” she explained. Donghyuck frowned.

“Who's that?” he asked. 

“He worked here. Quit a few months ago” Barbra explained. 

“How long have you known him?” Sicheng asked, walking on the other side of her.

“Oh, most of his life. He was a local kid. Just about grew up here. Had a mother who was unstable. Went on and off her meds” Barbra answered. Sicheng crossed his arms.

“ACS ever remove him?” he asked. Barbra sighed as she sighed off on a sign in sheet.

“Well, we called them several times, once when he had a terrible burn on his hand. But, you know, he told them it was an accident” she explained. Donghyuck hummed.

“What did Terry do here?” he asked. Barbra shrugged.

“CIeaned up, you know, took out the trash, small repairs. He used to fix the broken toys. That was his real passion” she explained. Donghyuck and Sicheng looked at one another before Sicheng raised an eyebrow.

“So he was around the kids?” he asked. Barbra looked them before she nodded.

“He had quite a doll collection. He loved showing it to them” she explained. Donghyuck frowned.

“Strange hobby for an adult man, collecting dolls” he mused. Barbra shrugged.

“He inherited them from his mother. Terry called them his legacy” she explained. Sicheng hummed.

“We're gonna need to talk to Terry. Do you have an address for him?” he asked. Barbra shook her head.

“I can't imagine that Terry's in trouble with the police” she stated as Donghyuck pulled out Susie’s photo, handing it to her.

“Do you recognize this little girl?” he asked. Barbra took the photo before she nodded.

“That's Cherish Doe, from the news?” she replied. 

“Her real name is Susie Marshall and the other one is Nina Tremain” Sicheng explained as he handed Nina’s photo to her as well. Barbra looked at the photos before she shook her head.

“Oh my god” she whispered. Donghyuck and Sicheng looked at each other before Donghyuck looked at Barbra.

“You do recognize them” he inferred.

“Just to say hi. I can't believe it” Barbra whispered. Sicheng hummed.

“Did you ever see Terry around either one of them?” he asked. Barbra shook her head.

“No. But he did pay special attention to the kids with tough home lives. He said that they needed extra love” she answered.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Sicheng and Donghyuck arrived at Jessup’s apartment, guns drawn. Donghyuck then kicked down the door before he and Sicheng rushed in, looking around only to find that it was empty.

“Damn it! We're too late” Donghyuck spat, putting his gun away as Sicheng walked over to one of the strewn newspapers on the floor.

“The paper's three months old. Jessup must have taken off after he kidnapped Susie” he declared. Donghyuck huffed.

“He's got to have another place where he stashed Susie's body before he dumped her” he declared as he and Sicheng continued to look around; Sicheng opening a drawer only to find a photo.

“Got something over here” he called out. Donghyuck looked over at him and hummed.

“Polaroid?” he replied, walking over to him. The minute he saw the photo, his eyes widened.

“Susie Marshall” he whispered. Sicheng nodded.

“Yeah, dressed up like a little doll” he replied. 

~*~*~*~*~

After the search, Sicheng and Donghyuck headed back to speak to their forensic psychologist, Dr. Osaki Shotaro.

“Dolls are idealized representations of men and women. They're pure, perfect and sexless. Terry Jessup is like a child who uses dolls to act out his fantasies” he explained. Donghyuck frowned.

“But he's a grown man and his fantasies are sexual” he argued. Shotaro nodded.

“And he feels guilty about being attracted to children and so he turns them into dolls. Which works for a while…” he started when Sicheng nodded.

“Until he gives in, he has sex with the doll, but then it's not a doll anymore, so he kills it” he spat, pinning the blown up scan of the polaroid to the corkboard.

“Why stash the body?” Donghyuck asked, looking over at Shotaro. 

“Again, out of guilt. And then when he finds a new playmate, he just discards the last one” Shotaro answered.

“Talked to your friend at Bellevue, got me the psych records on Jessup's mother. Diagnosed with severe depression with intermittent bouts of mania. She'd go around having sex with dozens of men and then go on these spending sprees buying nothing but dolls” Yuta called out as he walked over to them. Sicheng crossed his arms.

“Give you anything on Jessup?” he asked. Yuta sighed.

“Well, the shrink said that she was intermittently abusive and seductive towards him” he explained. Donghyuck made a face.

“Perfect way to raise a serial killer” he grumbled as Jaehyun came out of his and Taeyong’s office.

“I talked to a couple of Jessup's neighbors. The stress of his mother's death a year ago pushed him over the edge. He became reclusive and explosive” he explained as Taeyong followed after him.

“I just got off with CSU. No forensic evidence either Nina or Susie were in Jessup's apartment” he added. Shotaro nodded.

“Well, to keep the girls prisoner, Jessup would have needed privacy and isolation” he explained. Yuta huffed.

“He snatched both girls in the 'hood, dumped Susie back there. If he's following a pattern, Nina's got to be nearby” he mused, just as Han walked into the bullpen, carrying a box of dolls.

“Check this out” he stated. Sicheng raised an eyebrow.

“Moving in?” he asked. Han said nothing before he walked over to Sicheng’s desk and dumped the dolls out onto it.

“Yah—” Sicheng started as Han motioned to the dolls.

“My own doll collection. Fibers came from a Madame Charlotte doll. Very exclusive” he explained, holding up a doll. Taeyong crossed his arms.

“Well, how exclusive is their distribution?” he asked. Han shrugged.

“Only three stores in the city” he replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	67. Case 9: Dolls - CASE CLOSED

At Flecker’s Toy Shop, Taeyong and Donghyuck went to go talk to the owner.

“Sure, I've known Terry Jessup for years. Not a lot of guys are into collecting, but his money's good” he explained after looking at a photo that Taeyong held up. Donghyuck crossed his arms.

“When was the last time you saw him?” he asked. The shop owner, Mike, hummed.

“Oh, it's a couple of months ago. He came in to buy the new Princess AIexis. Craftsmanship, that's what Terry cares about. Only perfect dolls in mint condition” he explained. Taeyong huffed.

“We need an address for him” he stated. 

“I send mailings to preferred customers whenever a new Madame Charlotte comes out” Mike explained as his fingers flew over the keys of his computer, pulling up Jessup’s address.

“Here we go. 2555 Eighth Avenue” he declared. Taeyong looked it before he frowned.

“That's his old apartment” he stated before he sighed.

“Avid collector like Terry surely sent you a change of address” he mused. Mike shook his head.

“No. But he called a couple of weeks ago. Pre-ordered a Virginia Belle. Left a number for me to call when it came in” he explained, holding up the number on a card. Taeyong took the card, looking at it.

“917 area. Cell phone” he declared. Donghyuck nodded before he handed Mike the landline.

“Call Terry and tell him his order came in” he instructed. 

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Jaehyun and Taeyong were in the toy store, pretending to look around when a tall white male in his late twenties, early thirties came into the store. Taeyong looked over at Mike before he walked away and clicked his walkie.

“He just came in” he stated as Mike looked at Terry.

“Terry, I'm sorry” he apologized. Terry looked over at him and frowned.

“What's wrong?” he asked, walking over to the counter. Mike sighed.

“After I called you, I opened the box. The shipment was damaged. Would you take a Princess Renee instead?” he asked. Terry shook his head.

“You know I don't collect Renees. The workmanship's shoddy” he argued. Mike hummed.

“How about a 50th anniversary Nicolette, Iimited edition?” he asked, picking up a doll and showing it to Terry. Terry looked at it before he nodded.

“Okay, but I still want the Virginia Belle” he stated. Mike nodded.

“Promise. I'll call you” he assured. Terry smiled.

“Okay” he replied as he paid for the doll before turning and walking away.

“He's on the move” Jaehyun murmured.

~*~*~*~*~

After leaving the toy store, Donghyuck, Jaehyun and Taeyong followed Terry to an abandoned warehouse. They waited for Terry to slip inside before they got out of the car, bursting into the warehouse.

“Police! Let's see your hands” Jaehyun barked, causing Terry to quickly raise his hands.

“Don't hurt me” he begged as Taeyong walked over to him and grabbed him, placing his hands behind his back.

“Don't move. Where is she, Terry?” he growled. Terry frowned.

“What?” he asked. Donghyuck snarled.

“On your knees” he spat, forcing Terry to his knees as Taeyong glared at him.

“Nina Tremain, where is she?” he demanded. Terry frowned as he turned to look at him.

“Nina?” he repeated as Donghyuck grabbed Terry’s shirt, forcing him to look over at him.

**“Tell us where Nina is, before I take your punk ass head off”** he roared. 

“I don't know” Terry replied.

“Hey, Terry. Terry! Where's the top sheet? Did you use this to wrap up Susie Marshall's body? Terry!” Jaehyun called out. Yuta and Sicheng, who also came along in a different car, both sweeped some of Terry’s dolls off the shelves.

“Please don't hurt my dolls” Terry begged. Yuta looked over at him before he grabbed a doll and slammed its head against one of the shelves, snapping it off. Terry let out a keen.

“Please don't” he begged.

 **“Tell us where Nina is!”** Donghyuck roared. Terry shook his head.

“She's not here!” he exclaimed. Sicheng then threw a doll to the florr as Donghyuck yanked Terry to his feet.

**“Get your ass up”** he snarled, dragging Terry out of the warehouse as Taeyong, Yuta, Sicheng, and Jaehyun followed.

~*~*~*~*~

“We ran line-ups. We got positive IDs from Thelma Price and Ronnie” Taeyong stated as he walked over to Mark, showing him the line up. Mark smiled.

“Nice job, hyung. I don't need a confession to win this case” he declared. Donghyuck sighed.

“But we do need one to find Nina Tremain” he reminded. Mark looked over at him before he looked at Taeyong.

“Any chance she's still alive?” he asked. 

“Yangyang couldn't pin down the exact time of death for Susie. All we know is that he kept her breathing between two and four weeks” Taeyong explained.

“And we're at the four-week mark with Nina right now” Donghyuck added. Shotaro, who was with them, crossed his arms.

“If he killed her, he'd be agitated. He'd be on the prowl for his next victim, instead, he's in there sleeping like a baby” he stated, motioning to the interrogation room where Terry was sleeping. Donghyuck was quiet before he huffed.

“You know what? Why don't you all take a little walk while Terry and I get better acquainted” he murmured, heading towards the interrogation room door when Shotaro grabbed his arm.

“Now, he's not going to respond to threats. He's very lonely. Dolls and children are his only companions. He needs a friend” he explained. Donghyuck groaned before he looked over at Taeyong.

“You’re more compassionate than me, hyung” he stated. Taeyong nodded.

“I’ll take the lead on this” he assured before he turned and headed over to the door, Donghyuck following him inside. Taeyong then walked over to the interrogation room table and Terry.

“Your dolls are beautiful. My sister had lots of dolls, but never ones as nice as yours” he stated. Terry huffed.

“Girls are lucky. They can play with dolls. Boys aren't supposed to” he explained. Donghyuck crossed his arms.

“I had dolls” he stated. Terry looked over at him hopefully.

“You did? What kind?” he asked. Donghyuck shrugged.

“You know, GI Joe, Batman…” he started when Terry looked away.

“Those are action figures” he grumbled. Taeyong and Donghyuck looked at each other before Taeyong sighed.

“Terry, I hear that your mother started your doll collection” he started. Terry nodded.

“She liked beautiful things. I inherited them when she died” he explained.

“And you love them very much” Donghyuck mused.

“They were her most precious possession. Now they're mine. She can't take them away from me” he declared. Taeyong raised an eyebrow.

“Your mother didn't want you to have the dolls?” he asked. Terry nodded.

“She'd hit me if I touched them. She said that I'd break them. _"Boys are too rough. Boys can't be trusted to handle fragile things."_ But sometimes, when she was really happy, she'd let me dress them up. I was very careful not to break them” he assured. Taeyong nodded slowly.

“I bet you take really good care of those dolls. And I hear that you fix them, too” he mused. Terry nodded.

“Yeah, I can fix anything. I'm really good with my hands” he replied, showing Taeyong his hands. Donghyuck hummed as he looked at Terry’s hands.

“Man, that burn must have hurt” he observed. Terry quickly hid his hands.

“It was an accident” he assured. Taeyong raised an eyebrow.

“Did your mother do that?” he asked. Terry glared at him.

“She loved me” he snapped before he sighed.

“But little boys are wicked. Little boys need discipline” he explained. Donghyuck shook his head.

“But your mother had no right to hurt you” he argued. Terry took a deep breath.

“Little children deserve to be loved. Bad mothers shouldn't bring little children into this world” he spat. Donghyuck raised an eyebrow.

“Susie Marshall have a bad mother?” he asked.

“She was a crack whore. Susie was sad all the time. I let her play with my dolls” Terry growled. Taeyong then walked over to him and knelt before him.

“Is that why you took her, Terry? So she could play with you?” he asked gently. 

“In the Center, she loved my dolls, but then she didn't want to play anymore. She just wanted to go home” Terry explained. 

“And that must've made you mad” Taeyong agreed with a small nod.

“She broke one of my dolls. I told her not to, I told her that she'd be sorry but she wouldn't listen” Terry growled. Donghyuck raised an eyebrow.

“That's when Susie got hurt?” he asked. Terry let out a sob before he shook his head.

“I don't want to talk about it anymore” he sobbed.

“Where did you keep Susie?” Donghyuck asked.

“I can't tell you” Terry exclaimed. Taeyong nodded as he slowly stood up.

“Okay, Terry. Okay. Well, then let's talk about Nina” he suggested. Terry shook his head.

“No” he replied. Donghyuck sighed.

“Terry, Nina has a good mother” he assured. Terry shook his head.

“No, she doesn't. I saw her leave Nina with that evil woman. I saw that woman yelling at Nina” he snarled. 

“Terry, Nina's mother came back. She misses her and wants to see her again” Taeyong urged. Terry was quiet as he looked at Taeyong.

“I know what you're trying to do. You're trying to trick me” he growled. Taeyong shook his head as he looked at him desperately.

“Terry, where is Nina? Where is Nina?” he begged. Terry said nothing as he began to rock back and forth.

“Where is she?” Donghyuck begged. Terry continued to say nothing, making Taeyong and Donghyuck look at each other before they stood up and headed out of the interrogation room to talk to Shotaro.

“He's completely dissociated. Just give him some time” Shotaro instructed. Donghyuck shook his head.

“Taro, we don't have any time. It's too late” he argued, just as Violet walked over to them. Taeyong looked at her in shock.

“Violet. What are you doing here?” he asked. Violet motioned to Donghyuck.

“Donghyuck called me; he told me that you have the man who took Nina” she explained. Taeyong shot him a look before he looked back at Violet.

“We have a suspect in custody” he stated.

“Who won't talk” Donghyuck added. Violet looked at the three men.

“I've got to see him” she stated. Taeyong looked at her before he smiled thinly.

“Give us a minute” he instructed before he grabbed Donghyuck by the arm and dragged him away from Violet; Shotaro following behind.

“I thought we were working this case together and you called Violet without telling me?” he hissed. Donghyuck looked over at him.

“You got another way to get Jessup to talk?” he asked. Taeyong shook his head.

“Putting Violet and Jessup together is a bad idea” he hissed. Donghyuck shook his head.

“She was strong enough to go to those NA meetings. We prep her correctly, I know she can handle it” he assured before he looked over at Shotaro.

“Back me up, Taro” he begged. Shotaro was quiet before he sighed.

“Jessup thinks he's saving Nina from an abusive parent. If you challenge his delusion, he might break” he mused. Taeyong shot him a look.

“And if this doesn't work, the guilt will destroy Violet's life” he growled.

“A dead child's gonna destroy her even more. Nina's gonna die if we don't do something” Donghyuck argued. Taeyong looked at him before he sighed.

“Fine” he agreed.

~*~*~*~*~

After agreeing to let Violet talk to Terry, Taeyong and Donghyuck led Violet to the interrogation room.

“You sure you can do this?” Taeyong asked. Violet nodded.

“Yes” she replied.

“No matter what he says, you have to be stronger than him” Donghyuck advised. Violet was quiet before she nodded.

“I’m ready” she agreed. Taeyong nodded before he led Violet inside the interrogation room, he and Donghyuck following her.

“Hello Terry” Violet greeted, waking Terry from his nap. Terry sat up and looked at her as she sat down before him.

“Do you know who I am?” she asked. 

“Nina’s mom?” Terry replied. Violet nodded.

“That's right. My name is Violet” she greeted. Terry pointed to her.

“You ran away. Nina was so sad” he explained. Violet nodded.

“I was sad, too. I missed her very much. But I left to help Nina. I was no good to her the way I was” she explained. Terry looked away as Taeyong looked at him.

“That's why Violet came back, Terry. She came back for Nina” he explained. Terry shook his head.

“It’s too late” he murmured. Violet let out a gasp as Donghyuck shook his head.

“No, it's not. Nina needs her mother. Make it right” he begged. Terry took a deep breath as he looked at Violet.

“Nina's a good girl” he stated. Violet nodded.

“Yes, she is. I'm a good mother” she assured.

“Do you love her?” Terry asked. Violet nodded.

“Yes. With her gone, it's like a knife in my heart” she replied. Terry said nothing as a single tear fell from his cheek before he looked at Taeyong and Donghyuck.

“I have another place” he admitted.

~*~*~*~*~

After getting the address from Terry, Jaehyun, Taeyong, and Donghyuck arrived, searching the place. When they couldn’t find anything, Taeyong shook his head.

“Bastard's playing us” he spat. Donghyuck was quiet before he walked over to the room that Taeyong just left and looked around before he noticed something.

“Maybe not” he mused as he moved the cabinet to reveal a trap door.

“Trap door” he called out, making Jaehyun and Taeyong quickly walk over. 

“I’m going down” he declared. Jaehyun and Taeyong nodded, both men watching as Donghyuck headed down the trap door to a strange basement. 

“Nina?” Donghyuck called out, shining his flashlight around. He continued to look around before he noticed a young black girl dressed in a pretty dress lying on the floor underneath one of the shelves.

“It's okay, baby. It’s okay, baby” he soothed as he knelt down, removing the blindfold from her eyes.

“I'm a police officer” he continued as Nina let out a whimper.

“I got you. It's okay, baby. You okay, baby? Look at me. Look at me, baby, look” he instructed gently. Nina looked over at him weakly, causing him to nod.

“Okay. I'll get you out of here” he assured as he reached out, gently scooping Nina into his arms.

“I miss my Mommy” she whimpered.

“I’ll take you home” Donghyuck assured before he clutched Nina tightly to his chest and quickly headed upstairs. Once they were out of the basement, Donghyuck walked over to where Violet was waiting with Taeyong and Jaehyun.

“She’ll be all right” he assured as he handed Nina over to Violet, who hugged her daughter tightly.

“Mommy?” Nina murmured. Violet let out a sob as she hugged Nina tighter before looking at Donghyuck.

“Thank you” she whispered. Donghyuck nodded, a small smile on his face.

**_CASE CLOSED_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	68. Case 10: National Manhunt - Part 1

In a very messy kitchen, a woman was removing a pan of lasagna from the oven. While the lasagna was cooling, the woman placed a large wad of cash into a Ziploc bag before placing it under one corner of the lasagna. She then took a phone and placed it into another Ziploc bag, placing it under another corner of the lasagna. In a third Ziploc bag, she placed two ceramic serrated knife blades before placing under it under the third corner of the lasagna and in a fourth Ziplock bag, she placed two sponge paintbrushes and a small tube of orange paint. She then placed that under the fourth corner of the lasagna before packing it down so that it didn’t look suspicious, a small smile on her face.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, in Taeyong’s office, Taeyong was staring at a photo before he picked up his phone and dialed a number.

“Johnny, something's come up. So Yates is now claiming that some of the bones that we found at Pelham Bay, the Jane Doe vics that we never IDed, may be the remains of runaway Midwestern girls” he stated. 

_“_ _Oh, it could be. We do have some open missing persons cases from when he was here in Skyistan. I mean, young women who fit his MO...working girls, nurses”_ Lieutenant Johnny Seo replied on the other line. Taeyong huffed.

“Yeah, that's why I'm calling you” he stated.

 _“_ _And he just offered this up for humanitarian reasons?”_ Johnny asked. Taeyong scoffed.

“Oh, no, no. He says that he wants to discuss it with Sicheng” he replied.

_“_ _Why him?”_ Johnny asked. Taeyong huffed.

“Hell if I know. However, what I do know is that I don’t want him anywhere near him, and these are...Skyistan vics” he stated.

_“_ _So you want me to send Jungwoo?”_ Johnny asked. 

“I think that he would talk to him” Taeyong agreed. Johnny sighed.

_“_ _Jungwoo still hasn't forgiven himself for what Yates did to Minhee”_ he stated. Taeyong hummed.

“Maybe he can use that” he offered. Johnny was silent, causing Taeyong to sigh again.

“We'll keep each other posted?” he asked.

_“_ _Mhm”_ Johnny replied. Taeyong nodded.

“Thank you” he thanked.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, Lucas and Jungwoo were in a cab heading towards Asmaye, Jungwoo thinking about Minhee.

“Thinking about her?” Lucas asked gently, glancing over at Jungwoo. Jungwoo jumped and looked over at him before he sighed and nodded.

~*~*~*~*~

At Green Haven, Yates was looking at different pictures of skeletons and bones before he sighed.

“Yates” Jungwoo spat, grabbing the man’s attention.

“Yes, these are disturbing. Fractured skulls, broken hyoid bones…these girls were driven all the way from Skyistan to that bleak Asmaye boneyard, that same place that, uh, your friend Minhee was found” Yates stated.

“After you murdered her” Jungwoo hissed.

“Dr. Yates, we're here because we heard you might have information about these victims” Lucas stated, stepping in before Jungwoo did something he would regret.

“Who they were; how they got there; where did they come from?” Yates sneered, making Jungwoo growl.

“Why don't you start with who they are” Lucas suggested. Yates scoffed as he placed the pictures away from him.

“These are just bones, yeah? You couldn't find DNA on any of them, so I will guess that they came from working girls” he replied. Lucas snarled, growing irritated.

“Guess? You told SVU some of these victims might have been from Skyistan” he spat.

“Did I? Oh yeah” Yates replied as Lucas grabbed a couple of photos.

“We have some missing persons photos we'd like you to take a look at” he stated, handing them to Yates. He looked them over, biting his bottom lip as he did so.

“Hmm, so young. I...don't imagine that's what they looked like when their killer encountered them” he mused.

“Where?” Jungwoo snarled, tense and on edge.

“Maybe at a truck stop whoring themselves out for cocaine. You must know the power of addiction” Yates replied, looking at him. Jungwoo snarled.

“We’re talking about these girls, Yates” he growled. Yates hummed.

“Minhee talked a lot about you. On our drive...how Johnny took you in. Mentored you. That man has a lot of anger. It must have—” he started when Jungwoo stood to his feet.

“We’re done” he declared before he looked over at Lucas.

“If he says one more bad thing about Johnny, I’m going to kill him, so let’s leave before I do” he hissed. Lucas nodded and gathered up the file and the pictures as Jungwoo turned and headed towards the door.

“Sorry you wasted your trip” Yates called out.

“I’m sure” Lucas spat as he turned to follow after Jungwoo.

“Tell the warden I'd be much more comfortable talking with Detective Dong” Yates instructed. 

“Like hell you’re talking to him” Lucas growled. Yates then turned to look at them, his eyes hard.

“You want closure for those families? Get him here. By tomorrow” he ordered. Lucas and Jungwoo looked at one another before they turned and headed out of the visiting room.

~*~*~*~*~

“Why the hell does he want me?!” Sicheng exclaimed when Lucas and Jungwoo came to the SVU office to tell them what happened. Lucas shook his head.

“We have no idea” he replied as Sicheng looked at Jungwoo.

“What...he didn't give you anything, did he?” he asked. Jungwoo shook his head.

“I don't know that he has anything to give” he replied. Sicheng huffed.

“He never shows his cards on the first pass, and nothing's for free. What'd he ask for?” he asked.

“Like we told you, he wants to talk to you” Lucas stated. Sicheng shook his head.

“But why?!” he exclaimed. Taeyong shrugged.

“He's bored. He gets off on pulling everybody's strings” he stated. Sicheng shook his head.

“But Taeyong, he gave us Rudnick, and he knows more about those bones than he's ever let on” he reminded as Donghyuck huffed.

“Yeah... still claiming those bodies might be from Skyistan girls? Come on” he sneered.

“We do have these four women who went missing when Yates moved to Skyistan. One of them's a working girl who was a patient at his urgent care center” Lucas stated, quickly getting down to business as he motioned to the pictures up on the television screen.

“And he did seem to recognize her. He could have driven her east like he did with Minhee” Jungwoo added. Jaehyun frowned.

“Isn't he appealing that conviction? I mean, why would he confess to more crimes?” he demanded. Sicheng shook his head.

“No, but he doesn't confess. I keep the conversation hypothetical, and he just fills in the blanks” he explained as Jungwoo looked over at Taeyong.

“Look, Johnny would really like to give these girls' families some answers” he stated. Taeyong sighed.

“I know…okay” he agreed before he pointed to Donghyuck.

“But you go with” he ordered. He then turned and walked away, Jaehyun following him. Sicheng blinked before he quickly followed after his bosses.

“Taeyong, there's no point in sending him. Yates isn't even going to make eye contact with him, and there's COs everywhere” he argued when Jaehyun gently flicked him in the forehead, making him hiss.

“The hell?!” he exclaimed as he clutched at his forehead.

“Winwin, we know Yates. He's probably been playing them since the moment he got there” Taeyong stated calmly before he turned and headed to his office, Jaehyun following him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	69. Case 10: Nationwide Manhunt - Part 2

“Last week, we talked about resolving interpersonal conflicts without anger or violence. Did anyone try to employ the techniques we discussed?” a prison group counselor by the name of Bronwyn Wilkins asked. One prisoner raised his hand.

“I tried to see a certain situation from the other person's point of view” he replied as he looked over at another prisoner, who smiled.

“And I did, too, because what's weird to one person may seem normal to another” the other prisoner who was sitting next to the first prisoner explained. Bronwyn smiled.

“That's great, Jose” she praised before she clapped her hands.

“All right, let's pair up. First, sit face to face. Don't say anything, but see if you can sense your partner's emotions” she instructed as the inmates moved their chairs so that they were sitting across from one another. Just then, Yates walked in.

“Dr. Yates” Bronwyn greeted. Yates dipped his head.

“I’m sorry I'm late. I got held up in the law library. There are so many people in here who need my help” he explained as he made eye contact with another prisoner, Dr. Rudnick. Bronwyn nodded.

“We're glad to have you. We've paired off with empathy partners for the day” she explained. Yates nodded before he leaned down next to Jose’s ear.

“I think Dr. Rudnick and I have some issues we need to work through” he stated softly.

“No problem” Jose replied before he quickly got out of his seat and walked over to Bronwyn as Yates sat down.

“Doctor” Rudnick greeted.

“Mrs. Wilkins still bringing you those...deep pan trays of lasagna?” Yates asked. Rudnick frowned.

“That shouldn't concern you” he replied softly.

“But it does” Yates replied before he sighed wistfully.

“Home cooking...you just can't beat it” he continued. Rudnick made a face, knowing that Yates knew a hell of a lot more than what he let on.

~*~*~*~*~

“Four detectives in two days? Yates usually isn't this popular” the prison warden stated. 

“How's he getting on here?” Sicheng asked.

“Well-behaved, no problems, volunteers in law library and the hospital. Model inmate, really” the warden, Lucille Fenton, replied. Donghyuck huffed.

“Kind of strange for a guy who's never getting paroled” he murmured. Lucille shrugged.

“Oh, sometimes lifers get Zen, try to make the best of it” she replied.

“Really?” Donghyuck asked. Lucille smirked.

“Or they want to get transferred further upstate. Either way, he's settled in. Anything you need, let me know” she instructed before she opened the door to the prison gate, letting them in. Once they were inside, Donghyuck looked over at Sicheng.

“You see that, hyung? Yates charmed the warden. It's classic sociopath. It's classic” he hissed. Sicheng narrowed his eyes before he reached over and gently flicked him in the head.

“I know, kid. I know” he replied. 

~*~*~*~*~

In the visitation room, when Sicheng and Donghyuck entered, Yates was waiting for them.

“Detective Dong” he purred when he saw Sicheng and Donghyuck. 

“Cut the crap, Yates” Donghyuck snarled, making Sicheng gently smack his arm.

“I can handle myself, thank you” he murmured. Yates hummed.

“I suppose it was too much for me to expect you to come alone, and I have to say, I was a bit hurt that you sent the Skyistan detectives in your stead” he stated.

“Well, he’s here now, Yates, so let's get on with it” Donghyuck snapped as Sicheng sat down across from Yates, calmly opening up the file he brought.

“You said you might know something about these girls. Her? Said she could have been a working girl?” he asked, handing Yates a photo of a pretty young girl.

“Ooh, those green eyes. Though, I doubt she ended up in Pelham Bay” Yates mused. Sicheng raised an eyebrow.

“But you do have a theory...about where she did end up” he stated. Yates hummed.

“If I had to guess, she was turning tricks at a truck stop between Skyistan and Gary. I-90 most likely. But if something happened to her out there in the...dark at night, she's probably just...waiting in the weeds” he replied.

“Okay, now we’re getting somewhere” Donghyuck grumbled as he took notes.

“And these other girls...are they in Pelham Bay?” Sicheng asked, motioning to the other photos that he took out.

“Possibly” Yates replied. Sicheng smirked.

“Possibly” he repeated as Yates smiled.

“But you know how this works, Detective. To get...you have to give” he stated. 

~*~*~*~*~

“Yates wants to be transferred to Honor Block” Taeyong declared to the others. Jaehyun shook his head.

“He's a serial killer. Like hell that’s happening” he spat.

_“_ _Actually, once you're in prison, whatever you did to get there doesn't really matter._ _They use the carrot of the Honor Block to encourage good behavior”_ Donghyuck explained over Facetime. 

“He's not capable of good behavior” Jungwoo spat. 

_“_ _He did make one show of good faith”_ Sicheng stated. Lucas raised an eyebrow.

“He knows something about our girls?” he asked.

_“_ _Kishiki Rina, the patient at his urgent care center...he suggested you check truck stops outside of Gary”_ Sicheng explained. Lucas nodded.

“I’ll loop in Johnny” he declared as he turned away to call Johnny.

“And he may know more, but he's not going to say anything until he's transferred” Sicheng added. Yuta scoffed.

“Of course he won't” he grumbled as Jungwoo looked at Taeyong.

“Is this a good idea?” he asked.

“I doubt the warden would approve that” Jaehyun added. Taeyong was silent before he sighed.

“Find out. I want you _both_ back here tonight” he ordered, looking at Sicheng and Donghyuck before he ended the call.

~*~*~*~*~

“Does it have to be Honor Block? We can offer solitary” Lucille stated. Sicheng shook his head.

“Yates says he's afraid he'll go crazy. It's the Honor Block or bust” he replied as Donghyuck raised an eyebrow at Lucille.

“You did say he was a model inmate” he reminded. Lucille nodded.

“Yes, and we thought about transferring him out of Gen Pop, but Rudnick is in the Honor Block. We understand they have a history” she stated. Donghyuck nodded.

“Yeah, yeah, they do. Yates ratted out Rudnick. Rudnick killed Yates’ fiancée” he explained. Lucille frowned.

“So this could be a ploy for Yates to get revenge against Rudnick” she stated. Sicheng shrugged.

“It could be. But if Yates was intent on that, it would have happened already” he reminded. 

“I'd like to talk to Rudnick; he's an odd one. I'm not sure how he'll react” Lucille murmured. Sicheng then motioned to Donghyuck.

“Not to step on toes here, Warden, but Detective Lee can become friends with anybody. Let him try” he suggested. Lucille frowned before she looked over at Donghyuck.

“Would you like to talk to him, Detective?” he asked. Donghyuck shrugged.

“Sure, I’ll give it a try” he replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	70. Case 10: Nationwide Manhunt - Part 3

“Yates wants to be here?” Rudnick asked as he and Donghyuck walked through the Honor Block; Donghyuck explaining what was going on.

“Mm-hmm” Donghyuck replied. Rudnick sighed before he shrugged.

“Well, whatever Yates wants, I suppose” he mused. Donghyuck frowned.

“Listen, you do have the right to transfer out when he moves in” he reminded. Rudnick shook his head.

“Oh, dear no, that wouldn't do. But to be perfectly candid, I'm not worried about Yates. I can handle that pedestrian sociopath. I always have” he replied with a smile as he and Donghyuck headed back to his cell.

“Well, nobody wants to put you in jeopardy” Donghyuck explained. Rudnick smiled.

“Well, thank you, Detective. You're a gentleman. And, whatever happens going forward, I appreciate you showing me respect” he thanked. Donghyuck nodded, taking a mental note of the large deep dish lasagna pan on his desk.

“Of course” he replied. 

“Um, might I ask what kind of leverage he used to get transferred?” Rudnick asked. Donghyuck looked at him before he shook his head.

“Sorry Doc, but you know I can't tell you that” he reminded. Rudnick hummed.

“Well, in any case, it was nice to talk to you, Detective” he stated, holding out his hand. Donghyuck nodded and shook it.

“It was nice talking to you too” he replied before he turned and left.

~*~*~*~*~

“Yates’ transfer went through, but it's too late to talk to him again today. We're heading back” Sicheng stated over the phone to Taeyong as he and Donghyuck were walking through the prison yard to the gate.

_“_ _Good”_ Taeyong replied.

“Tomorrow morning, Yuta and I, we can drive up here first thing and we can...” Sicheng started.

_“_ _No, absolutely not, Sicheng. Yates got to talk to you. From now on, he has to talk to me and Jaehyun. Am I making myself clear?”_ Taeyong asked, authority in his voice. Sicheng sighed.

“Copy that, Captain” he replied before he hung up.

“Hmm, Taeyong doesn’t want you coming back up here again, right? I don't blame him” Donghyuck mused. Sicheng turned and narrowed his eyes at him before he raised his hand to flick him, causing him to quickly cover his head.

“I can take care of myself” Sicheng growled as he lowered his hand. Donghyuck sighed.

“I know, hyung, but Taeyong is just being cautious” he reminded. Sicheng sighed as well.

“I guess” he agreed.

~*~*~*~*~*~

After Sicheng and Donghyuck left, Yates was being led to his cell in the Honor Block when he stopped before Rudnick’s cell.

“Carl. Just like old times. We're going to be block mates” he called out, making Rudnick look up from his book.

“Yes. So I'm told” he replied. Yates hummed before he too noticed the lasagna tray on Rudnick’s desk and smirked.

“Our Mrs. Wilkins really is a miracle worker, isn't she?” he asked. Rudnick’s face slowly morphed into one of fear as the guard guiding Yates huffed.

“Yates, let’s go” he ordered, walking away from him and heading towards his cell. Yates watched him walk away before he looked at Rudnick.

“Just so we're clear, I'm going to be there when that miracle occurs” he warned before he followed after the guard. 

~*~*~*~*~

The next day, Jaehyun and Taeyong drove up to Green Haven, Jaehyun tsking as he looked at the prison.

“Well, Green Haven hasn't changed” he grumbled before he looked over at Taeyong, who was in the passenger seat.

“Long drive up, Tae. I hope it's worth the trip” he stated. Taeyong shook his head as he crossed his arms.

“Look, I'm not letting him talk to Winwin anymore, all right? If he wants to stay on Honor Block, no more games” he growled. After parking the car, Jaehyun and Taeyong checked in, both men checking in their guns and extra clip before Taeyong turned to Mark, who was already there.

“Didn’t know Uber drove up here” he teased. Mark smiled slightly.

“Drove my bike” he replied. Taeyong nodded.

“You’ll have to show me sometime” he stated. Mark nodded.

“Sure” he replied as he slipped his badge over his head.

“Guys, they're ready for us” Jaehyun called out. Mark and Taeyong looked over before they followed after him and a guard who was escorting them.

~*~*~*~*~

“Sorry to keep you folks waiting. We're almost finished moving Gen Pop into the yard.

Once that's done, we'll bring you to Yates” Lucille stated she walked over to the guard to sign off on some paperwork.

“Understood. Thank you for making the transfer happen so quickly” Mark thanked as Taeyong raised an eyebrow.

“How did it go last night?” he asked. Lucille shrugged.

“So far, so good. Yates and Rudnick spent their first night together in the Honor Block without incident. My staff tells me they were cordial to each other at morning head count” she replied. Jaehyun hummed.

“That’s good to know” he murmured as Mark crossed his arms.

“The sooner we can meet with Yates, the sooner we'll be out of your way” he stated.

“Oh, we're fine. Whenever you can” Taeyong assured. Lucille nodded.

“Of course” she replied as she looked out the window at the yard.

“They're about done” she murmured before looking at the guard.

“Go to the block. Bring Yates down” she ordered. The guard nodded.

“Copy that” he replied before he clicked on his walkie.

“Have Honor Block inmate Yates, number 14005, ready for escort” he ordered.

~*~*~*~*~

Down on the Honor Block, one of the guards huffed.

“Visitors again? Yates has a lot of friends” he grumbled to himself as he walked over to Yates’ cell.

“Yates” he called out, only to find it empty. He frowned before he walked over to another inmate, Jose Silva, who was clutching a fleece blanket.

“Silva! Put that thing down” he barked, making Jose jump before putting down the blanket.

“Sorry” he apologized.

“Where’s Yates?” the guard demanded. Jose turned to look at him.

“How would I know? He just got here. Maybe the law library? I ain't seen him since head count this morning” he replied. 

“Does your bunkie know?” the guard asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Dr. Rudnick? He's in the clinic doing his volunteer work” Jose answered. The guard groaned before he turned and walked away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	71. Case 10: Nationwide Manhunt - Part 4

At SVU, Sicheng was trying to get a soda can out of the vending machine, but nothing was coming out, so he resorted to kicking it, making Yuta pop in to check on him.

“Woah, hey, baby. You okay?” he asked, walking over to his partner. Sicheng let out a heavy sigh and ran a hand through his hair.

“No, not really. I’m pissed” he gritted out. Yuta raised an eyebrow.

“Why? 'Cause Taeyong won't let you go back up to Green Haven?” he asked, crossing his arms. Sicheng nodded.

“Exactly. Because Yates…he gets one look at Taeyong, Jaehyun, and Mark up there, and he's gonna think that they're all ganging up on him, or worse, he's gonna think that I pulled a bait and switch on him” he snapped. Yuta raised an eyebrow.

“Worse? Why, you're worried about your relationship with Yates now?” he teased. Sicheng scoffed.

“Yeah, that’s exactly what I meant, Yuta” he snapped before he turned and lightly punched the vending machine, finally getting his drink. When he reached for it, he looked up to see Yuta smiling fondly at him.

“What?” he asked as he stood up, cracking open the soda. Yuta smiled and shook his head.

“Nothing. It’s just that you’re cute when you’re angry” he teased. Sicheng huffed and headed out of the break room, heading to his desk when Donghyuck looked up at him.

“Y’all gross” he deadpanned. 

“I _will_ come over there and flick you, Lee” Sicheng threatened, making Donghyuck laugh.

~*~*~*~*~

At Green Haven, Taeyong, Jaehyun, and Mark were waiting for Yates to arrive when Taeyong noticed something outside.

“Hang on. What are those? Drones?” he called out. Jaehyun and Mark quickly ran over to the window and looked out as well before Jaehyun nodded.

“That’s exactly what they are” he replied.

“Everybody down on the ground! Code blue, Alpha yard. Code blue” one of the guards shouted from outside.

~*~*~*~*~

“I haven't seen Yates all day” one of the inmates stated as the guard walked into the law library.

“Are you sure” the guard demanded.

“It's a shoe box in here. Look for yourself” the inmate snapped, just as the guard’s walkie went off.

 _“I repeat, code blue. All blocks restrict movement. No one on or off. CERT has been alerted”_ the guard on the yard barked, making the guard step outside of the law library and close it, locking the inmate inside, much to his confusion.

~*~*~*~*~

“I heard about this. Astror, Mansfield, I think. They used drones to drop guns and drugs” Jaehyun mused as he, Mark, and Taeyong continued to watch the yard.

~*~*~*~*~

Out on the yard, one of the drones dropped a box, just as another drown appeared.

“Oh, God, we got another one. CERT to Alpha and Bravo yards. Three drones. I repeat, three drones” the guard barked as the inmates began fighting each other for the box.

~*~*~*~*~

“What the hell is taking so long?” Mark grumbled.

“CERT's on their way. They'll get this under control” Jaehyun assured, just as an inmate ran up to the barrier protecting Mark’s window and banged on it, shouting at Mark.

“Thank you, Lieutenant. That's very comforting” Mark grumbled, turning to glare at Jaehyun, who sighed and turned to face him.

“Counselor, we're in here. They're out there. Relax” he assured. Mark gritted his teeth.

“I'm perfectly relaxed” he growled.

“Knock it off” Taeyong snapped, using his intimidating voice. Jaehyun and Mark, who were nearly at each other’s throat, immediately did as they were told, just as CERT got all the prisoners under control. 

~*~*~*~*~

Once everything was under control, the guards began to examine the goods that were dropped.

“Drugs, phone. Holy crap. How small is this gun?” one guard breathed. The head guard huffed.

“Now we're going to have to check the spokes of all these waterheads” he grumbled.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at SVU, Jungwoo was on a call with Johnny.

“No, we haven't heard anything yet. Okay, we'll let you know” he assured before he hung up and looked over at Lucas.

“Johnny wants us back tonight” he stated. Lucas huffed.

“We should at least wait to find out what Yates had to say” he replied, just as Donghyuck got off the phone.

“Just tried Mark’s office. They haven't heard from him in four hours” he declared. Jungwoo, Yuta, Sicheng, and Lucas looked at him in shock; Jungwoo shaking his head.

“What the hell's going on up there?” he murmured. Sicheng huffed.

“Hopefully Yates is talking” he grumbled as Yuta headed to his desk.

“I mean, I'll try the warden again” he stated before he picked up his phone and dialed the warden’s number.

~*~*~*~*~*~

After everyone went into lockdown, the guards began doing a headcount of the prisoners in the Honor Block.

“Smith. White. Paul. Yates” he murmured, checking each cell until he stopped at Yates’, finding it still empty.

“Where the hell is Yates now?” he groaned.

“Rudnick's still missing too” another guard called out, opening Rudnick’s room. The guard doing the headcount then stormed into the room.

“Start talking, Silva, or you're back into Gen Pop without your blankie” the guard snapped, yanking the blanket away from Jose.

“They'll kill me if I say anything” Jose exclaimed, making the other guard quickly walk into the cell.

“Whoa, whoa, easy, easy. Jose, say anything about what?” he asked gently. 

“I don't know nothing” Jose replied weakly. Both guards sighed before one of them noticed that a poster looked out of place, so he turned and punched it, finding it hollow. He then ripped the poster away to reveal a tunnel, making the other guard groan before quickly getting on his walkie as he walked out of the cell.

“We have a situation in the Honor Block. Possible escape. Code blue” he barked.

~*~*~*~*~

“Yates’ missing?” Taeyong exclaimed as he, Jaehyun, and Mark walked over to Lucille.

“We're having trouble locating him” Lucille replied. Jaehyun frowned.

“What about Rudnick?” he demanded. Lucille sighed.

“My understanding is that they are both unaccounted for” she replied. Mark looked at her, concerned.

“What does that mean?” he demanded.

“There was some kind of internal damage in Rudnick's cell. There was an opening cut into the wall” Lucille explained.

“Hold on…they escaped?!” Taeyong exclaimed, feeling his blood rising. 

“They're probably trapped somewhere in the prison infrastructure” Lucille replied calmly.

“A hole in the cell? They had help” Jaehyun spat. Lucille held up a hand.

“We're investigating. Of course, no one on that block knows anything” she stated.

“Does he have a cell mate?” Taeyong demanded. Lucille nodded.

“Jose Silva” she replied.

~*~*~*~*~

After finding out Rudnick’s cell mate’s name, Taeyong, Jaehyun, and Mark went to talk to him. The minute Jose saw them, he gulped.

“Talk to us about Rudnick and Yates” Taeyong ordered as he sat down in front of Jose.

“Okay, they'll kill me. Those guys are scary” Jose murmured.

“We can get you transferred out” Jaehyun stated as he sat down next to Taeyong. Jose looked at him and frowned.

“I know you?” he asked.

“You can trust me, Jose. How did Rudnick cut a hole in the wall?” Taeyong asked, his voice gentler but still firm.

“He must have got tools somehow” Jose whispered. Taeyong frowned.

“Well, how long has this been going on?” he asked.

“A few months. He...he'd work nights. He told me to shut my eyes and pretend to be asleep or he wouldn't take me” Jose explained. 

“And how did Yates get involved?” Jaehyun asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Dr. Rudnick didn't want that, but this morning b-before head count, Yates said he was going...and Rudnick said yes” Jose answered. 

“What was the plan?” Taeyong inquired.

~*~*~*~*~

“Jose Silva told us that they'd figured out how to get past the prison walls” Taeyong snapped as he, Mark, and Jaehyun were walking with Lucille in the boiler room.

“That would be my worst nightmare” Lucille replied. 

“Tell me that after Dannemora, you sealed everything up” Mark begged. Lucille nodded.

“We did. Welded all the manholes shut. Checked every access point” she replied as Jaehyun looked around.

“Okay, water, sewage. What's this?” he demanded, pointing to a large pipe.

“High pressure steam. If they went in there, they got fried” Lucille replied. Jaehyun frowned before he carefully touched the pipe, only to find it cool to the touch.

“This pipe's not hot. If it were on, it'd be hotter in here, right?” he asked, making Lucille and Taeyong walk over to the pipe to investigate.

“ConElectric was doing repairs last night. They said they'd have it shut off for a few hours” one of the guards stated as Jaehyun examined the pipe before he found a part that looked like it had been cut open large enough for someone to fit inside.

“Son of a bitch” Lucille spat.

“Where does this pipe go?” Mark asked, looking the pipe up and down.

“They couldn't have gotten out” Lucille argued, shaking her head.

“Warden” Taeyong snapped, suddenly getting up in her face, causing her to shrink back in fear.

“Where does it go?” he snarled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	72. Case 10: Nationwide Manhunt - Part 5

“We had that sealed over the summer” Lucille grumbled as she led Taeyong, Jaehyun, and Mark over to where the steam pipe leads out. Taeyong huffed.

“Rudnick has family money. He probably bribed somebody to unseal it” he snarled as one of the officers handed Lucille a note.

“They left this for us” he stated. 

“A note. _"I think I'll miss you most of all, Scarecrow"_ ” Lucille read aloud.

“Is that green nail polish?” Mark asked, quickly snatching the evidence bag out of Lucille’s hand.

“It's one of Yates 's signatures” he continued. Lucille tsked.

“Where's that ConEl crew?” she demanded.

“Taeyong! Got a body over here!” Jaehyun called out, making Mark and Taeyong turn before they ran towards him.

“Was he shot? Are they armed?” Taeyong called out. Jaehyun shook his head.

“Looks like a snapped neck” he replied as Taeyong and Mark arrived before him. Taeyong sighed heavily.

“Look, these guys worked in two-man crews. Where's his partner?” he demanded. Jaehyun looked around before he noticed the electric truck with the basket at the end.

“Can you get that down?” he called out to one of the officers. The officer nodded and ran over to the truck, while Lucille walked over to Taeyong and Mark.

“First Class Detective Dong Sicheng comes to visit Yates, and he escapes. Any particular reason why you've come up here instead of him?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. Taeyong bristled before he turned and glared at her, eyes glowing red.

“My detective did not help Yates break out of prison” he hissed.

“He fought to get him transferred to the Honor Block” Lucille argued.

“Because he knows him better than anyone else. It was the only way we could get him to cooperate” Taeyong snarled.

“Sicheng didn't order those drones, and he didn't cut a hole in Rudnick's cell wall” Mark added, defending his friend before he looked over at Taeyong.

“This has been planned for months” he stated, voice low. Taeyong nodded.

“Look, he had to have outside help...visitors, volunteers—” he started before he turned and glared at Lucille.

“I mean, maybe even COs” he snarled.

“Believe me, my intelligence unit is already making a list” Lucille snapped back, just as the basket was lowered.

“Taeyong” Jaehyun called out, making Lucille, Taeyong, and Mark walk over to him; all of them looking inside.

“It's another snapped neck” Jaehyun declared. Mark frowned.

“They killed the guys that helped them escape” he murmured. Jaehyun huffed.

“They're not taking any chances” he declared.

“And they won't hesitate to kill again” Taeyong growled before he and Jaehyun walked off. Mark then looked over at Lucille.

“When was the last time that Yates and Rudnick were seen?” he asked.

“6:00 a.m. head count” Lucille replied.

“Great, so they have a nine-hour head start, which means they could be anywhere” Taeyong snapped.

“You say Sicheng understands him better than anybody else? Get him up here” Lucille ordered before she turned and walked away. Taeyong, Mark, and Jaehyun watched her walk away before Jaehyun shook his head.

“Did this bitch just—” he started when Taeyong held up a hand.

“Jaehyun, it’s fine” he soothed before he turned and headed back to his SUV.

~*~*~*~*~

_“This just in on the continuing manhunt for escaped serial killers Gregory Yates and Carl Rudnick. Sources now confirm that two ConElectric workers were found murdered this afternoon just outside Green Haven Correctional. The workers are believed to have assisted the fugitives in their daring escape earlier today. The search for the two convicted felons intensifies tonight. Troopers from four states and law enforcement personnel from several federal agencies have converged on the scene. Both Yates and Rudnick were serving life sentences for multiple counts of rape and murder. They should be considered extremely dangerous. Officials are cautioning that anyone who sees them or has information on either of the two men should not attempt to interact with them”_ a news anchor declared.

~*~*~*~*~

“We think that they may have made a break after head count this morning” Taeyong stated on the phone to Johnny later on that evening as he arrived at a church.

_“And no one noticed for eight hours?”_ Johnny asked. Taeyong huffed.

“Oh, it's a long story, but I am gonna need all the help that I can get” he replied. Johnny hummed.

_“No problem... I'll tell my boys to turn around”_ he declared.

“Thank you, Lieutenant” Taeyong thanked before he hung up and walked over to Jaehyun, who was waiting for him.

“Jungwoo and Lucas were about to board a plane. They're on their way up now” he explained, just as Sicheng, Donghyuck, and Yuta walked over to them.

“Hyung. You all right?” Donghyuck asked, concerned. Taeyong smiled slightly.

“Yeah, just a long day” he assured as he began walking towards the church, the others following him.

“No sign of Rudnick or Yates?” Yuta asked. 

“Not yet. State troopers set up roadblocks” Jaehyun replied. Sicheng huffed.

“So now we know why Yates asked to be transferred to Honor Block” he grumbled. 

“His cell mate told us that Rudnick planned the whole thing and that Yates nosed in at the last minute” Taeyong explained, making Sicheng look over at him.

“Captain, I did not see this coming” he assured as Yuta shook his head.

“Hey, baby, nobody's blaming you” he argued, making Sicheng shake his head.

“No, I mean all of it. You know, calling in SPD, getting me involved. Yates was playing a long game; he must have figured out Rudnick's plan and realized that the clock was ticking” he spat. Jaehyun shook his head.

“The entire county's on lockdown. There's a nationwide alert. They won't get away” he assured. Sicheng shook his head.

“You don’t know Yates” he grumbled.

~*~*~*~*~

“Yates and Rudnick are extremely dangerous. They've already killed two men who helped them escape” Lucille stated to a large group of FBI, ATF, and other law enforcement officers before she looked over at another man.

“Major Bowman?” she continued. The man nodded.

“All right, they've already a head start, so they could be anywhere. We've warned the public to keep their doors locked and to avoid engaging any strangers” he stated. Lucille nodded as Taeyong, Jaehyun, Yuta, Sicheng, and Donghyuck walked onto the stage to stand on the other side of her.

“APD's Special Victims Unit is here to give specifics about the fugitives. Captain Lee?” she instructed. Taeyong huffed.

“Look, these guys are intelligent. They're motivated. They're charming, and they are without conscience. Their crimes include rape, kidnapping, torture, and murder” he started.

“Now, Yates is definitely capable of hot-wiring cars. He's adept at identity theft, and he is highly manipulative” Sicheng continued.

“Especially when preying on young women. Now, Rudnick can blend in with the group. We know that he assumes disguises, usually an older female” Donghyuck finished. Lucille nodded to them.

“Thank you, SVU. To sum up, these men are dangerous sociopaths who will not hesitate to kill” she deadpanned.

“We've already begun house-to-house searches and roadblocks. Air support with heat sensors and infrared will be in the air within the half hour. Search every inch of this county” Bowman ordered. Everyone nodded in agreement before they turned to get to work. Lucille then turned Taeyong.

“My staff has pulled security cameras, visitors' logs, and personnel files” she stated. Taeyong nodded.

“Okay, my team can help with the interviews” he agreed as Bowman looked at them.

“Hey, how bad are these guys?” he asked.

“Think Robert Durst and Ted Bundy on the run together” Mark deadpanned, appearing out of thin air before walking right past him.

~*~*~*~*~

“Okay, those two are crazy, and they got mad skills” Jose stated to Taeyong in the interrogation room. Taeyong sighed.

“Yes, but they had help, Silva...who?” he demanded. Jose shook his head.

“Not me” he replied.

“They had hacksaws, paint, drills. Now, who smuggled it to 'em, the COs?” Yuta, who was also with Taeyong, snapped. Jose shook his head.

“I don't want to say. I like her” he replied. Yuta and Taeyong frowned.

“You like who?” Yuta asked. Jose didn’t say anything, making Yuta snarl.

“Silva, they've already killed two people! Talk. **Now** ” he growled, eyes glowing silver. Jose nodded, afraid for his life.

“Okay. Mrs. Wilkins. She teaches our conflict transformation class. She was always bringing Dr. Rudnick lasagna, baked stuff. He never let me eat any of it. I think because there was contraband inside” he explained. Taeyong shook his head in shock.

“How did they get it past the COs?” he exclaimed.

“They like her lasagna too” Jose explained.

~*~*~*~*~

“I didn't know anything was in that lasagna. I swear to God. The tray she gave me just have sausage inside” one of the guards explained to Jaehyun and Sicheng.

“So she comes in holding nothing but a tray of lasagna?” Sicheng asked, trying to understand the situation. The guard shook his head.

“No, she kept them in a shopping bag. It was filled with arts and crafts stuff. Look, she had gate clearance” he explained. Sicheng huffed.

“Yeah, but still, you put it through the metal detector, right?” he demanded. The guard shook his head again.

“She asked if I could just hand-check it. She always kept her lunch in there. She didn't want it getting bombarded with those rays. Those things can cause cancer” he exclaimed.

“So you didn't check it at all?” Jaehyun growled, both he and Sicheng glaring at the guard.

“I need my union rep” the guard declared.

~*~*~*~*~

“Bronwyn Wilkins. She's a nice woman. She's a Quaker, she...” Lucille started as she walked down the halls of the prison, Taeyong, Donghyuck, and Mark following her.

“Wait, her first name is Bronwyn?” Taeyong asked.

“Yes” Lucille replied.

“Red hair, heavyset, glasses?” Taeyong continued.

“Yes. She just got married last month. Her maiden name was Freed” Lucille answered. Mark groaned.

“Motherfucker” he hissed. Lucille frowned as she looked over at him.

“You know her?” she asked.

“Bronwyn Freed helped William Lewis escape from Rikers by bringing him drugs inside baked goods” Taeyong deadpanned as Donghyuck glared at Lucille.

“Don't you do background checks?” he snapped. Lucille glared at him.

“Of course, but Mrs. Wilkins has no record” she argued.

“Because the charges were dropped” Mark grumbled before he looked over at Taeyong.

“This is not my call” he explained. Taeyong frowned.

“You didn't tell me that” he stated. Mark sighed.

“Rikers had issues with chain of custody and corrupt COs, and no one upstairs wanted to open up that can of worms” he explained as Lucille continued walking. Donghyuck nodded.

“Okay, that's fine, but still, she has to be flagged at Rikers” he hissed as he walked next to Lucille.

“Rikers is city. We're state. The two systems don't exactly communicate very well” Lucille replied nonchalantly. Donghyuck, who was fed up with her bullshit, quickly sped up his steps and overtook her, glaring at her as his eyes flashed purple.

**“Okay, you know what? We need an address. Now”** he snarled.

~*~*~*~*~

At Bronwyn Wilkins’s house, Sicheng led a group of officers to the back door of her house.

“We don't know what we're looking at. Stay sharp” he ordered.

“Should we wait for infrared? Will she be armed?” an officer asked.

“I don't think so. She teaches alternatives to conflict...bakes muffins and lasagna” Sicheng whispered as Jaehyun, who was with him, nodded.

“Let’s do this” he declared. An officer then broke down the door, making his way inside.

“Get down! Down, now!” an officer shouted as he rushed over to a man on a couch. The man looked at them with wide eyes.

“What's going on? Who are you?” he asked.

“Where's Bronwyn?” Jaehyun growled.

“I'm Paul. I'm...I'm her husband” the man explained.

“Where's your wife?” Sicheng snapped.

“She said she had a family emergency, so she took my car” Paul explained. Jaehyun nodded.

“All right, make, model, plate number” he ordered. 

~*~*~*~*~

“What's the deal with this girl? She got a thing for serial killers?” Lucas asked as he and Jungwoo joined Taeyong’s team.

“More or less” Taeyong replied. 

“This her car?” Jungwoo asked, motioning to the car they were walking to.

“Well, it's the same make and model as the husband but different plates” Yuta explained. Jungwoo huffed.

“Yates would switch 'em” he grumbled.

“No sign of him or Rudnick?” Lucas asked. Yuta shook his head.

“There was nothing in the car, but they were here. The dogs picked up their scent” he explained.

“Taeyong! I got something over here!” Donghyuck suddenly called out, making Taeyong and the others run over to him as he grabbed an officer who was holding evidence bags.

“Come here” he ordered as he began putting things into the evidence bags.

“I got a jumpsuit... a dress, and a wig” he declared. Taeyong huffed.

“Okay, so the question is now where's Rudnick's body?” he asked.

“Hey, dogs are on to something” Jaehyun shouted, running over a car that the dogs were just barking at; Taeyong and the others running over as well.

“Car's locked” Jaehyun stated.

“Open it” Taeyong ordered. Jaehyun smirked before he elbowed the car window hard, shattering the glass. He then reached inside and popped the trunk open, revealing a whimpering Bronwyn inside. Jungwoo then reached down and snatched off the duct tape covering her mouth.

“Where are they? Where's Yates?” he growled. Bronwyn shook her head.

“I don't know! Help me, please” she begged.

“All right, well, you were with them. How long ago?” Sicheng demanded, walking up next to Jungwoo, shining the flashlight on Bronwyn.

“Before noon. He...Yates, he made me...” Bronwyn started before she broke down sobbing.

“Get her out of here” Taeyong snarled before he turned and walked away. Lucas and Sicheng nodded before they reached into the trunk and helped Bronwyn out while Donghyuck held up a flashlight so they could see.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	73. Case 10: Nationwide Manhunt - TO BE CONTINUED

_“More than a thousand officers are now on the trail of the two escaped inmates, Gregory Yates and Carl Rudnuick, who broke out of Green Haven Correctional 24 hours ago. The search has spread to neighboring counties as local police, state troopers, ATF officials, and the Department of Corrections conduct road checks, door-to-door searches, and full sweeps of the area. Sources confirm that the two fugitives may have been helped in their escape from inside the prison by a female accomplice who authorities are questioning now”_ a news anchor declared.

~*~*~*~*~

“I was working with Dr. Rudnick on his impulse issues. He's a very sensitive man. Over time, we grew close” Bronwyn explained at the Asmaye Police Barracks.

“How close?” Sicheng asked. 

“He was a confidant, able to read my moods. Like he'd say, _"You seem like you're feeling a little sad today”_ ” Bronwyn answered. Mark, who was also there, frowned.

“Did he ask you for favors?” he asked. Bronwyn hummed, thinking.

“He'd talk about a...a book he missed, a piece of art or music. He loves Albinoni, the _"Adagio in..."_ ” she started.

“So you brought him gifts” Sicheng deadpanned, interrupting her.

“Little things. Salt to cook with, spices, organic soaps” Bronwyn explained.

“How about hacksaws?” Taeyong, who was also involved in the interrogation, snarled. 

“Maybe it's not good for him to be here. He has a lot of anger toward me” Bronwyn stated. 

“Yeah, why do you think that is, Bronwyn?” Taeyong snapped. 

“Hyung, we got this” Mark soothed, looking over at him. Taeyong shook his head as he walked forward.

“No, I'm not gonna coddle her. You helped two serial killers escape from prison.

Whatever they do to anyone while they're out is on you” he snarled, eyes glowing bright red as he glared at Bronwyn.

“Dr. Rudnick has dealt with his dark side” Bronwyn argued.

“He chopped a woman into little pieces!” Taeyong shouted. Bronwyn shook her head.

“That's not the man that I know” she argued. Taeyong shook his head and turned away, unable to deal with the bullshit coming out of her mouth.

“Oh my god” he grumbled as Sicheng looked at Bronwyn.

“Okay, Bronwyn. I'm sure he...he can be empathic and make you feel wanted, attractive, but he was using you” he started.

“They left you to die in the trunk of a car. He doesn't give a damn about you!” Taeyong shouted, turning back to glare at Bronwyn.

“Carl does. He just couldn't survive inside” Bronwyn argued. Mark huffed, his eyes softly glowing gold.

“You helped them escape? You're looking at felony charges. You need to tell us what you brought them, what their plans are, everything” he ordered, making Bronwyn groan and put her head in her hands.

~*~*~*~*~

“Just got a still from the Stonemond Bridge time-stamped yesterday morning” Jaehyun stated as he walked over to Yuta, Donghyuck, Lucas, and Jungwoo, showing them his tablet.

“Looks like two church ladies” Lucas murmured, looking at the photo.

“That's Bronwyn. That's Rudnick. He's wearing the wig and the dress we found near the car” Donghyuck declared before he turned and headed to the map that was up on the chalkboard.

“Yates was probably hiding in the back while they drove upstate” Jungwoo added, walking over to join Donghyuck at the board. Donghyuck huffed.

“That's a smart plan. Nobody's gonna be looking for them at that hour, and even if somebody were, two women in a Subaru ain't gonna raise any flags” he mused. Yuta huffed.

“Yeah, once they get past Alegan in a less trafficked area, they don't need Bronwyn anymore, so they dump her in that lot” he inferred. 

~*~*~*~*~

“Yates said I'd served my purpose, that I didn't need to know what their next stop was” Bronwyn explained at the barracks. Sicheng frowned.

“Why didn't he kill you?” he asked. 

“Dr. Rudnick said he would do it, but he saved my life. Just fired a shot and threw me in the trunk of the other car” Bronwyn explained. Mark’s head immediately whipped around at the word “shot”.

“A shot? They're armed?” he demanded. 

“My husband keeps an old .38 in case the bears get into the garbage. They made me bring it along” Bronwyn explained.

“They made you?” Taeyong asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes. I was in fear for my life” Bronwyn snapped.

“Where were they going?” Mark asked, looking over at her.

~*~*~*~*~

“Taeyong says Bronwyn gave Rudnick a gun and a map of the Wynsonee State Park” Jaehyun stated as he carried in a map of Asmaye.

“Wynsonee Park? That's 6 million acres” Bowman exclaimed. Donghyuck looked over at him and nodded.

“Yeah, that's why we need to look in the north end. When Sicheng and I apprehended Rudnick, he was in Bleahset, just shy of the border” he explained. 

“What was his escape plan?” Lucas asked, raising an eyebrow.

“He had a passport and cash, but beyond that, we never found out” Donghyuck replied.

Jungwoo huffed.

“That's Rudnick, but Yates? The last time he was on the run, he killed Minhee and he went on a spree” he reminded. Yuta huffed.

“Yeah, we're not even sure if these two are still together. I mean, there's bad blood between the two of 'em” he stated. Jaehyun nodded.

“Yeah, well, anything is possible. They could have split up. One could've killed the other” he mused.

“We had some more sightings” Bowman called out. 

“How many?” Lucas asked. Bowman shook his head.

“Too many. All over the county, the state, as far south as the Vroria-Kholn border” he replied, handing out the different sighting to the SVU and SPD members.

“Any sightings on the way up to Astrus?” Jaehyun asked.

~*~*~*~*~

“Yates manipulated me. He figured out that Dr. Rudnick and I were intimate” Bronwyn murmured, making Mark, Taeyong, and Sicheng raise their eyebrows.

“Physically?” Mark asked. Bronwyn shook her head.

“No, of course not, but spiritually” she replied. 

“How did he manipulate you?” Sicheng asked. 

“He found out about the lasagna” Bronwyn explained. Mark nodded slowly.

“So you told him Rudnick was planning an escape” he deadpanned. 

“I had to. He said that if I didn't, he'd kill my husband” Bronwyn exclaimed softly.

“Yates was in prison. Your husband was 30 miles away” Taeyong snarled, causing Bronwyn to turn and glare at him.

“That doesn't matter. If Yates wants to hurt somebody, he finds a way” she snapped.

~*~*~*~*~

On 108 Draybel Road, Lucas and Jungwoo found a dead female officer on the ground of a cabin.

“Son of a bitch” Jungwoo snarled. Lucas looked down at him in concern.

“You okay?” he asked. Jungwoo shook his head.

“This is Yates” he snarled as Jaehyun walked into the cabin while state police and other officers were canvasing the scene and area.

“They found prison-issued underwear. They're checking for DNA” he stated. Jungwoo shook his head.

“It’s Yates. How'd the trooper end up here?” he asked as he stood to his feet.

“First responder got a call from a neighbor who saw smoke coming out of the chimney.

The owner never stays here in winter” Jaehyun explained. Lucas frowned.

“How long ago?” he asked.

“An hour. They also found a blood trail outside. One of 'em may be hurt. Might have slowed 'em down. Dogs are on both scents” Jaehyun answered before he turned and headed out. Lucas made to follow him when he stopped and looked back at Jungwoo, who was looking down at the dead trooper with anger and hurt in his eyes. He sighed before he walked over to him, gently touching his arm.

“Hey” he murmured, making Jungwoo look up at him.

“We'll get 'em” he assured. Jungwoo nodded, but his face said otherwise.

~*~*~*~*~

“Yates’ trail ends at the water. You got any boats out this time of year?” Yuta asked as he and Sicheng looked over at Major Bowman. Bowman shook his head.

“There shouldn't be. We got one of ours out there looking now. Customs and Border got divers in the lake” he explained. Sicheng frowned.

“Any year-rounders out here?” he inquired. 

“It's mostly summer cabins. We got infrared. We're checking indoors” Bowman replied, just as Donghyuck ran over to them.

“The dogs picked up Rudnick's scent” he panted before grabbing Yuta’s arm, dragging him away; Sicheng following them. He then ran over to stand behind a car, Sicheng and Yuta at his side, as he pulled out an infrared camera and pointed it at one of the fishing boats. Yuta looked at it before he frowned.

“He’s barely moving or even breathing” he mused as he took the camera from Donghyuck.

“This is the state police! Come out slowly with your hands up!” Bowman ordered as officer’s clicked the safety off of their guns, ready to shoot if necessary.

“All right, look, he is trying to get up, but he can't” Sicheng argued, looking over at him.

“That piece of crap already got one of ours; I'm not risking these guys. Fire into the boat!” Bowman ordered, making Donghyuck’s eyes widened.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold on...do not shoot!” he screamed as he ran in front of the officers, making them lower their weapons.

“I know this man” he stated before he turned and headed towards the boat, pulling out his gun.

“Detective...” Bowman started.

“We've got history” Donghyuck called out as he continued to make his way towards the boat. Yuta then put down the camera, stepping in front of the officers so that they didn’t a) go after Donghyuck, and b) accidentally shoot him.

“No, we got it. We got it. We got it” he assured as Sicheng followed after Donghyuck.

“Dr. Rudnick, it's Detective Lee. I saw you on the infrared. Can you hear me?” Donghyuck called out as he and Sicheng made their way closer to the boat.

“All right, I'm walking towards the boat. I want you to live tonight! Isn't that what you want?” he continued. When he heard no response, he sighed.

“All right, you're gonna put your hands high above your head. All right, nice and easy, Doc” he soothed before he put his gun away and jumped up onto the boat, slicing the tarp away to reveal a very bloody, and barely breathing, Dr. Rudnick.

“Do not move” he ordered before he turned to look at the state police.

“All right, I need some help over here! An ambulance, ASAP!” he called out, Sicheng turning as well.

“You heard the kid! Let's get some help over here. We need a bus” he shouted. Donghyuck then looked back at Dr. Rudnick, who was smiling weakly at him.

“Thank you, Detective” he thanked. Donghyuck nodded.

“All right, just stay with me, Dr. Rudnick” he begged as sirens could be heard coming towards them in the distance.

~*~*~*~*~

_“_ _Breaking news in the manhunt for the two escaped inmates from Green Haven Correctional. Officials have confirmed that Carl Rudnick has been apprehended. He is now in police custody after he was discovered hiding in a docked boat by Caroga Lake. Rudnick suffered multiple injuries. He was rushed to the nearest hospital where he is now being questioned. And the scale of the search is widening for the second fugitive, Gregory Yates, who remains at large amidst reports of sightings from as far apart as the Wynsonees to the Kholn border. We will keep you updated as this story continues”_ a news anchor declared.

~*~*~*~*~

“Yates hobbled him. He broke both his knees, his ankles, pierced his eardrum. Just left him to die” Yuta explained as Major Bowman and Taeyong followed him through the hospital.

“I'm not shedding any tears” Taeyong growled. Yuta nodded.

“We know” he replied.

“Is he talking yet?” Taeyong asked, looking over at them. Yuta nodded again.

“Only to Donghyuck, and he's in and out of consciousness” he explained.

“He did indicate the plan was to cross the border at the Bircaster River” Bowman added, just as Lucas walked up to them.

“Taeyong, I'm glad you're here. I can't get a hold of Jungwoo” he stated, panic in his voice. Taeyong frowned.

“I thought he was with you or Jaehyun” he replied. Lucas shook his head.

“No. We split up. I followed one dead end. They followed another” he explained before he looked at Bowman.

“Did Jungwoo know Yates was headed north?” he asked. 

“I guess... we put an APB out on a pickup truck he hot-wired” Bowman replied. Lucas groaned as Yuta tsked.

“He’s going after him” he murmured. Taeyong shook his head.

“Jaehyun wouldn't let him go up there alone” he stated before he looked over at Yuta.

“Look, call him. Get 'em back” he ordered. Yuta nodded as Taeyong, Bowman, and Lucas headed into the room where Donghyuck was talking to Dr. Rudnick, Sicheng also there.

“Oh, I assure you, Detective, it was never my intent to harm anyone. Yates simply bulldozed his way in. I wanted to leave the country and live a life of peace. He only wants one thing…revenge” Rudnick croaked. Donghyuck nodded.

“Okay, Doc, you got a lot of meds in you right now. I want you to stay with me. Your plan. Where on the Bircaster River were you going?” he asked.

“Riverisle Island. Though I suppose I won't be going there now” Rudnick croaked.

“And Yates knew about this?” Sicheng inquired. Rudnick looked over at him and sighed.

“He beat it out of me” he croaked. Donghyuck and Sicheng nodded before they turned and walked over to Taeyong, Lucas, and Bowman.

“Riverisle Island” Donghyuck deadpanned. Bowman nodded.

“I'll get the word out” he assured, turning and heading out of the room as Yuta walked in.

“It’s Jaehyun” he stated, holding the phone out to Taeyong. Taeyong quickly took it and put it to his ear.

“Jaehyun. Border Patrol and ATF are handling. Come back now” he ordered.

~*~*~*~*~

“Copy that, babe” Jaehyun replied before he hung up and looked over at Jungwoo, who was driving.

“All the agencies are on it. They'll find him. Taeyong wants us to come back” he stated. Jungwoo shook his head.

“Yeah, I'm not doing that. I'll drop you at a rest stop if you want” he offered. Jaehyun huffed.

“Jungwoo, I know he killed someone close to you, but this isn't us anymore” he growled as they continued driving; Jungwoo looking over to see a stopped truck and police car.

“The hell is that?” he murmured as he came to a stop; Jaehyun looking over as well.

“There's been no radio traffic. Pull over” he ordered. Jungwoo nodded and quickly reversed the car before driving over to where the stopped car was. Both men then got out, a gun in Jungwoo’s hand while Jaehyun had a flashlight and walkie in his.

“This is Lieutenant Jung, APD. Requesting backup. County Road 3. Six miles west of Plessis” Jaehyun stated into his walkie.

_“_ _Copy that”_ a female voice replied. While he was talking to the dispatcher, Jungwoo slowly walked towards the police car, looking inside. 

“Clear” he murmured before he continued walking. After getting off the walkie, Jaehyun pulled out his own gun, still holding the flashlight in one hand.

“I got a trooper down” Jungwoo called out, quickly kneeling next to the trooper to feel a pulse, but he knew from the bullet in the head that he wasn’t alive.

“He's gone” he called out as Jaehyun looked around, noting that there was dense forest all around them.

“So’s his gun!” Jungwoo added, just as a shot rang out, hitting Jaehyun in the shoulder.

“Hyung!” Jungwoo shouted as he ducked for cover, Jaehyun doing the same.

“Stay down! Take cover” Jaehyun ordered before he gritted his teeth and pulled out his walkie.

“This is Lieutenant Jung. Shots fired. Two officers down. Suspect is armed and in flight. Requesting immediate backup” he hissed. Jungwoo then looked over at him, concerned.

“Hyung, are you okay?” he demanded because he knew if he wasn’t, Taeyong would have his head; if Jaehyun got hurt, nobody could protect themselves from Taeyong’s wrath.

“I’m fine. Just stay down” Jaehyun replied. Jungwoo was quiet before he stood up and looked around before heading towards the forest. Jaehyun saw what he was doing and his eyes widened in horror.

“Jungwoo, what are you doing? Jungwoo, stay down! Get back here! Wait for backup!

Get back here! Jungwoo!” he shouted before he groaned. Not only was Taeyong going to kill him for getting shot, both Johnny and Lucas were going to kill him for letting Jungwoo get hurt.

~*~*~*~*~

Jungwoo ran through the forest, careful not to slip or fall on the snow, until he came upon a cabin. His eyes widened and he quickly ran over to it, carefully opening the door before stepping side. He looked around until he noticed a little girl hiding underneath a table.

“Hey...it's okay. I'm the police. Are you all right?” he asked gently, walking over to her and kneeling down.

“My daddy” the little girl whimpered, just as a gunshot rang out. Both Jungwoo and the little girl jumped before Jungwoo looked at her.

“I need you to stay right where you are, okay?” he instructed before he ran over to the door and kicked it open, running outside. He looked around until he heard a car engine rev, so he turned to see Yates in the pickup truck driving straight towards him. 

“Son of a—” Jungwoo hissed before he jumped out of the way; Yates driving right past him. As he drove away, Jungwoo fired at him but he was too far gone. Jungwoo growled before he turned and looked around, his eyes widening in horror when he saw the body of a male on the ground.

“Fuck…” he whispered, slowly walking over to the body, kneeling down next to it. There was a bullet through the head and as he looked at the body, he noticed that something was in its mouth. He frowned and reached out, taking the piece of paper from the body’s mouth, opening it.

_See you back home, Jungwoo_

**_TO BE CONTINUED_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas Eve! Hope you all are having a fantastic day!
> 
> Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	74. Case 11: The Song of Gregory Yates - Part 1

“Gregory Yates escaped custody last night in upstate Asmaye after killing two state troopers, two ConElectric workers, and a camper, and shooting Lieutenant Jung. Jaehyun, he'll make a full recovery, thank God” Lucas stated as he stood before the other detectives of the Skyistan PD. He and Jungwoo had taken a flight home earlier that day, which is why he was standing before them.

“And Yates?” Hendery asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Pothain troopers found the pickup truck abandoned on a state road. State forensics lifted Yates' prints, and a motorist there IDed Yates as pretending to have car trouble and knocking him out to take his car” Ten replied. Lucas nodded.

“He repeated the pattern in Astror and Yetrary. The last vehicle brought him to the Lacruosau border. Crime lab confirms Yates’ prints, but there's no leads after that” he stated.

“Yeah, except one” Johnny argued, walking over to the whiteboard, tapping on the note that Yates left.

“Jungwoo. The reason Yates is here” he deadpanned. Jungwoo shook his head.

“No, he's just trying to get in our heads. We put out a BOLO, investigative alert, and AMBER Alerts on the vehicle. Troopers are watching every highway coming into Skyistan” he explained. Lucas nodded.

“SVU is questioning Carl Rudnick, the guy Yates escaped with, who's back in custody.

Taeyong will be in touch when they have anything to report” he added. Johnny huffed.

“Well, until then I want us on every transient hotel, shelter, food bank in the city. Remember, this guy will kill or maim to get what he wants” he growled before he pointed to Hyunjin.

“Flag the credit cards of the vehicle owners. See if there was a safe haven he used last time he was here” he ordered. Hyunjin nodded and everyone got the cue that it was time to work. When everyone went off to do their assigned tasks, Ten walked over to Jungwoo and looked at him, eyes forever gentle.

“You okay?” he asked. Jungwoo nodded.

“I’m fine, Ten” he assured. Ten nodded as well.

“All right, I'm gonna run with the carjack victims. See if he grabbed any phones” he stated. Jungwoo smiled weakly.

“Okay. Thanks” he thanked. Ten smiled before he turned to head to his desk, Jungwoo sighing as he sat down at his.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, Yates headed up the stairs of an apartment complex, looking at the numbers on the doors before he found the right one. He then knocked on the door, which was soon opened by a young woman in scrubs.

“I'm so sorry. My car broke down and my phone is dead, and I was wondering if there's any chance I could borrow yours to call AAA” he asked. The young woman blinked.

“Oh…uh…” she started, not really sure if she should let him in. Yates then eyed her up and down before he cleared his throat.

“Um, let me guess...Cardiology? I'm a surgeon. I'm... I'm usually right” he explained. The woman smiled slightly.

“Not this time. I'm a nursing student” she replied. Yates nodded slightly.

“Mm” he replied before he clicked his tongue.

“Well, I've always said nurses are the backbone of any good practice” he replied.

~*~*~*~*~

_“So Rudnick said that Yates befriended a guard who slipped him contraband phones. We found this in his cell with a search triangulating a Skyistan neighborhood”_ Taeyong stated over Facetime, holding up a phone in an evidence bag.

 _“I'm texting you a screenshot that we recovered”_ he continued. Johnny then looked over at Lucas, who was in the room with him and Jungwoo.

“You got it?” he asked. Lucas nodded as he pulled out his phone, looking at the screenshot.

“South Loop. Around 16th and Yetrary” he declared. Johnny frowned.

“That’s around your apartment” he stated, looking at Lucas and Jungwoo. Jungwoo shook his head.

“It doesn't mean anything” he argued.

“Jungwoo” Johnny started, just as Ten walked over to the door.

“Johnny, Hendery and Xiaojun just made notification of a triple homicide all in one apartment building, a fourth woman hanging on. All female. All nurses. This sounds like our guy” he declared. 

_“Yuta and I are on the next flight”_ Taeyong declared. Johnny nodded before he shut his laptop and stood to his feet, pointing at Jungwoo.

“You ride with me” he ordered. Jungwoo huffed but nodded; there was no arguing with him.

~*~*~*~*~

“A meter reader called it in. He knocked, and the door pushed open to this” Hendery explained as he led Jungwoo, Johnny, and Ten into the apartment.

“Best we can figure, the first victim opened the door. He pushed in and knocked her down” he continued.

“What's this?” Johnny asked, motioning to the blood on the wall and floor. Hendery sighed.

“Pieces of scalp covered with partial hair, so he must have dragged her, and there's multiple dents in the floor where he slammed her into it” he explained, leading his boss into the room where the body of the nurse was.

“Roommate was in the shower?” Ten asked. Hendery hummed.

“Tub. We think the first victim threw a vase to warn her friend, but too late. She must have heard her friend, got out of the tub, and locked the door” he explained, just as Lucas walked into the room.

“Hyung, you're gonna want to see this” he stated. Johnny nodded before he pointed at Ten.

“Yours” he instructed, motioning to the apartment before he looked back at Jungwoo.

“Come on” he ordered. Jungwoo huffed but followed after him and Lucas. Meanwhile, Ten walked into the bathroom, where the other victim was.

“He broke the door down, slammed her into the wall in several places. There's defensive bruising on her arms, multiple lacerations on her knuckles. She put up a good fight” Hendery murmured as Ten walked over to the victim and knelt down, sticking his fingers in the water before he sighed.

“It's still warm” he murmured.

~*~*~*~*~

“The roommate's on her way to Med. This one must have not had heard anything downstairs. Back door's open. We think he heard the meter reader and bolted before he could finish off the roommate” Xiaojun explained as Lucas, Jungwoo, and Johnny walked into the other part of the apartment. Johnny frowned as Lucas turned to face him.

“So thing is, all the purses were emptied. All the jewelry boxes were gone through” he stated. Johnny shook his head.

“No, that's not his MO” he argued. Lucas then sighed and walked to the other side of the dead roommate.

“Well, there's more than that. That's not him either. No victim shows any signs of a sexual assault” he stated, pointing to her. Jungwoo and Johnny followed him to see what he was pointing at when they found that her right hand was severed off.

“It's nurses. It's blunt force trauma. This is Yates” Jungwoo argued. Johnny sighed.

“This cut's neat, precise, like a doctor would do. You might be right” he murmured, glancing at Jungwoo before looking over at Xiaojun.

“Now, what's happening on the third floor?” he asked. Xiaojun shook his head.

“It's clear. No sign of foul play, and the tenant, Nellie Carr, she isn't there” he replied. Lucas shrugged.

“Maybe she heard or seen something” he offered.

“Well, we got to find her. Let's get an all call message going for this Nellie Carr” Johnny ordered before pointing at Xiaojun.

“Get a list of what's missing, every item, and somebody get me a print that can put Yates here” he growled.

“Ten and I should probably follow the ambo, see if our victim comes out, then we can ID” Lucas stated. Jungwoo looked over at them.

“I'll go with you” he offered when Johnny shook his head.

“No. You and I are heading back to the 21st. We're gonna find that third floor tenant” he declared before he turned and headed out of the apartment. Jungwoo growled, but followed after him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys had a Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays/Amazing Day (if you don't do Christmas)! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	75. Case 11: The Song of Gregory Yates - Part 2

“You're benching me” Jungwoo growled as he and Johnny walked out of the apartment.

“I'm keeping you safe” Johnny argued. Jungwoo shook his head.

“We just left a scene with three dead nurses. Johnny, I'm not the one you need to worry about” he snarled. Johnny sighed.

“Jungwoo, he's baiting you” he argued. 

“No, he's not. He's using me to get under your skin, and it's working” Jungwoo snapped, causing Johnny to stop and look at him with flashing red eyes.

“You make one mistake with Yates, you're dead. You get that?” he snarled, trying to get him to understand.

“If he wanted me, he would have had me in upstate Asmaye” Jungwoo snapped. Johnny shook his head.

“Well, he's not getting a second chance” he growled. Jungwoo huffed.

“Johnny, if I'm bait, let me be bait. I can draw him in. Let me do my job” he begged. Johnny looked at him before he sighed and motioned to his car.

“Get in the car” he instructed. Jungwoo groaned before he got in; there was no arguing with him.

~*~*~*~*~

“She never woke up?” Ten asked as he looked at his sister Dr. Amber Liu, who was a doctor at Skyistan Med. Amber shook her head.

“She lost too much blood at the scene. I'm sorry” she apologized before she turned and headed back inside the hospital. Ten growled before he turned and looked at Lucas.

“Yeah, there was never gonna be an ID” he spat, turning and walking away. Lucas sighed heavily before he turned and followed after him. Poor Johnny and Ten; they were under so much stress. Not to mention Jungwoo too.

~*~*~*~*~

At a local university, Yates was waiting in the parking lot, waiting and watching until he saw a pretty young woman walking with two other girls. His breath hitched as he watched her, patiently waiting for her to be alone before he got out of his car and walked over to her.

“Nellie Carr?” he called out, making the young woman look over at him.

“Do I know you?” she asked, a small smile on her face. Yates shook his head.

“No. But I know you” he replied.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Ten and Lucas arrived at the scene, questioning some of the students from the university.

“Do you remember what you talked about?” Ten asked. 

“He was showing us a photo of Professor Carr on his phone” one girl replied. Ten frowned.

“Wait, Carr? Nellie Carr?” he asked. The first girl nodded.

“Yes, he said she was his college girlfriend and he was in town for the week” she explained.

“She was covering a class. I told him she was on her way to the parking lot” the other young woman explained before tears filled her eyes.

“Oh god” she whimpered as her friend pulled her in for a hug. Ten nodded solemnly.

“Okay, thank you” he thanked before he and Lucas turned and walked away.

“So he was looking for Nellie Carr this whole time. First at the apartments, then here” he hissed. Lucas shook his head.

“But she's 40-something with red hair. That doesn't make sense” he argued. Ten huffed.

“Well, neither does the MO from this morning, but everyone who IDed him said he was specifically looking for her” he grumbled.

“Hey, guys. There's a note left in the car Yates drove here” Hendery called out, making Ten and Lucas look over at him before they walked over to the car; Ten leaning down so that he could look inside.

_Too bad you're at the station, Jungwoo. You're missing all the fun._

“The hell is going on?” Ten growled as he looked up at Hendery, who just shook his head.

~*~*~*~*~

“Hyunjin” Johnny greeted as he walked over to the genius.

“We swept the entire building in and out. Lieutenant, there is no way Yates could know where Jungwoo is” Hyunjin argued. Johnny huffed.

“Except he does, so figure it out” he ordered. Hyunjin nodded.

“Yes sir” he replied as he turned back to his computers. Johnny huffed before he walked over to Jungwoo.

“Jungwoo” he stated.

“I've got an investigative alert out on Yates and Nellie, her car, cell phone, and credit cards” Jungwoo explained. Johnny nodded.

“All right, I want uniforms door to door through that campus. Get recruits if you have to” he ordered. Jungwoo huffed.

“We got to figure out what the connection is between Yates and Nellie. I need his working file. I—” he started when Xiaojun walked over to him and handed it to him.

“I pulled it” he interrupted. He then pointed to a map on one of the whiteboards.

“We're setting up a hotline right now, so blue is for sightings already called in, green is for places we know he's been, and red is for former crime sites with photos and intel on each victim” he continued before handing Johnny a piece of paper.

“Here’s a list of other hospitals he might target, and this is hotline phone number for the news” he finished. Johnny nodded.

“Thanks” he thanked. Xiaojun then held out a hand.

“Oh, hyung” he started, making Johnny look over at him.

“Hmm?” he replied.

“I got the Superintendent and Mayor on the phone. News Affairs is sending someone for an update, and I've got a press conference set for a Public Safety Alert” Xiaojun explained before he frowned.

“Is the Asmaye team coming?” he asked. Johnny nodded.

“Yeah, they're on their way” he replied before he pointed to Jungwoo.

“Jungwoo can help gather information for the press. He’ll be here” he stated. Jungwoo’s eyes widened.

“Hyung!” he exclaimed as Xiaojun frowned.

“Hyung…shouldn’t he be home? He’s too personally invested in this case” he asked, looking between his boss and Jungwoo.

“The safest place for Jungwoo is right here in my station” Johnny replied before he turned and walked away. Xiaojun sighed and nodded before he turned to see Jungwoo looking at his whiteboard.

“Hyung…what’s wrong?” he asked, walking over to the man. Jungwoo looked over at him before he motioned to the whiteboard.

“You didn't put up Minhee's picture with all the other past victims. Minhee’s not up there” he explained. Xiaojun blinked.

“Oh, uh…her name’s up there, but I... I thought maybe a photograph...” he started.

“She should be up there with everybody else” Jungwoo interrupted. Xiaojun nodded.

“Absolutely. I'll fix it. I’m sorry” he apologized. Jungwoo smiled and shook his head.

“It’s okay. Thank you” he thanked before he turned and headed back to his desk.

~*~*~*~*~

Out on the road, Yates was driving down the street when he saw a homeless woman sitting on the icy bridge. He came to a stop and rolled down his window, making her look up at him.

“Anything you can spare?” she called out. Yates looked at her before he got out of his car and walked over to her, kneeling down before her. He then held out his hand to the woman, who looked at him before hesitantly taking it. 

“I have so many things to give you” he replied, a small smile on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	76. Case 11: The Song of Gregory Yates - Part 3

A little while later, Ten returned to the station, since Johnny called him and asked him to be the one who was point for the press.

“A multi-state manhunt began yesterday when convicts Gregory Yates and Carl Rudnick escaped through a sewage pipe at Green Haven Correctional in Asmaye State. Mr. Rudnick has been recaptured, but Mr. Yates is at large, a suspect in multiple Asmaye killings and this morning's murder of four Skyistan nurses and the abduction of a nursing teacher from Skyistan's Nursing College. Yates was serving a life sentence for murder and aggravated criminal sexual assault. Multiple officers have been dispatched on foot patrol, with K-9 units and helicopters added. The Intelligence Unit has been called in to lead this investigation” he stated as he stood before the press. While he was giving the conference, downstairs, the homeless woman from the bridge walked into the station and brought a box over to the front desk, handing it to the officer there.

~*~*~*~*~

“I got a hit. Yeah, one of the nurse's phone cards is being used a mile outside their neighborhood” Hyunjin called out, making Johnny walk over to him.

“All right, ping the cell. Text the address to Lucas” Johnny ordered. Hyunjin nodded.

“I will, but a second credit card turned up at a Best Buy outside of Blacktire Park” he explained.

“And one of the nurse's bracelets just showed up at a pawn shop. They texted a photo of the woman there too” Hendery added. Jungwoo growled before he turned and looked at Johnny.

“He's passing this stuff around. Let's go” he ordered. Johnny sighed.

“Jungwoo—” he started.

“It would be just like him to be in one of these places. Let me do something” Jungwoo begged.

“He's playing us” Johnny argued. Jungwoo groaned.

“Fine, then send uniforms and let's pin the maps and triangulate his location” he snapped. Johnny didn’t move, making Jungwoo look at him pleadingly.

“Hyung!” he exclaimed, just as Xiaojun looked up at them.

“Hyung, the front desk just called up. A package was delivered for Jungwoo by a homeless woman who IDed Yates as the one who paid her to drop it off. It's a big box” he stated. Johnny nodded before he huffed.

“All right, get out of the building” he ordered as he turned to Hyunjin.

“Call the bomb squad” he instructed. He then motioned for the officers and detectives to move.

“Get everyone out of the building now. Let’s go” he ordered.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, as everyone from the station waited out in the cold, the bomb squad team leader turned towards them.

“We x-rayed it. It's not a bomb. Your people are safe, but you're gonna wanna check this out” he stated. Johnny looked over at Ten and Jungwoo before they walked over to the squad leader; Jungwoo stepping forward to look at the box.

“It's addressed to me” he stated. The squad leader then handed him a pocketknife, which he took before cutting open the box to reveal the missing hand from the dead nurse at the apartment.

“Jesus” he whispered before he reached into the box, making Lucas shake his head.

“Jungwoo, don’t” he instructed, but Jungwoo ignored him as he opened the letter.

_Why don't you answer the phone when your mother calls?_

Jungwoo frowned.

“When Mom calls? She’s been dead for how many years, what is he—” he started when his phone suddenly began to ring, making him freeze before he pulled out his phone to reveal his mother calling. Lucas and Johnny’s eyes widened before Johnny growled.

“He knows she opened the box. He's here watching. Fan out now. Go, go, go, go” he ordered. Officers began to spread out as Jungwoo looked at Johnny in confusion.

“Hyung, what—” he started.

“Answer it” Johnny instructed. Jungwoo nodded before he slid open his phone and answered the call.

_“Detective Kim”_ Yates purred as he stood behind a scared looking Nellie Carr. Jungwoo quickly stepped away from the others, turning his phone on its side so that he could see the image better.

_“Hey. Do you know Nellie Carr? Nellie, Nurse Nellie. Hey, that is the wonderful Detective Kim”_ Yates continued before he frowned as he looked at Jungwoo.

_“Do you...are those dark circles under your eyes? Couldn't sleep?”_ he teased. Jungwoo huffed.

“You've been keeping me busy. You have my attention now. What do you need?” he asked. Yates hummed before he chuckled.

 _“Gosh, what do I need?”_ he mused as Johnny glared at Hyunjin.

“Where is he?” he snarled.

“I'm on with Jungwoo’s carrier” Hyunjin replied.

“A real time, loss of life, exigent circumstances emergency. I need information on a call connected to one of our phones” he continued as Jungwoo continued to look at Yates.

“Did you want the concern of the city? You got that. Wanted the whole district to sit up? Look” he stated as he showed the phone around so that Yates could see the panic he had caused.

“See? You did all this, but you keep sending notes to me, so why don't you tell me where you are? I'll come to you” he offered. Yates hummed.

 _“Ah, you know where I am”_ he replied. Jungwoo huffed.

“Why don't you pretend I'm not that clever and tell me anyway?” he countered. Yates smirked.

“ _And ruin all the fun?”_ he teased. Jungwoo snarled, growing irritated.

“Then tell me why you killed those four nurses when what you really wanted was Nellie?” he snapped. Yates huffed.

 _“You are trying to get me to confess with witnesses present. You are recording me without my permission, and me without a lawyer present. Shame on you, Detective”_ he scolded. Jungwoo sighed.

“Okay. Okay. Then why me? Why are you leaving all the notes for me?” he demanded. Yates hummed.

 _“I've been thinking a lot about Cain and Abel, you know? If they were the only descendants of Adam and Eve, and Cain killed Abel, well, you know what that means, don't you?”_ he asked, turning to whisper into Nellie’s ear.

“They're pinging his phone right now” Hyunjin whispered, still on the phone with Jungwoo’s carrier.

 _“We're all descendants of a murderer”_ Yates declared as he laughed softly before he looked at Jungwoo.

 _“I will see you soon, Detective”_ he stated, lowering the phone away from his face before hanging up.

“Wait. No! Come...damn...ah, dammit. He powered down. They lost him” Hyunjin spat as Lucas looked over at him.

“Hyunjin, how does he know where he is or what we've been doing, huh?” he demanded. Hyunjin was quiet before he looked at Jungwoo.

“Your phone; let me see your phone” he ordered. Jungwoo handed it to him as he began running diagnostic on it before turning to look at the others.

“Jungwoo’s phone, it's using five times the regular data” he whispered, covering the mic so that Yates couldn’t hear him.

“That means—” he continued.

“Spyware” Lucas snarled. Hyunjin nodded.

“Yeah. Okay, he's been listening in on conversations. He's probably been reading texts, e-mails. He can turn on the camera in the car and in the bullpen” he explained. Ten shook his head.

“But how would he have access to it? When?” he demanded. Jungwoo was quiet before he looked at Lucas.

“When we went to the jail we had to surrender our phones” he whispered. Lucas nodded.

“The corrupt guard” he agreed. Jungwoo then looked at Hyunjin.

“Give it to me” he asked. Hyunjin nodded and handed back his phone, which he took and began playing the call back until he came upon the image that he wanted; an image of him, Johnny, Ten, and Lucas.

“Guys, I know where he is. He's in our apartment. This picture's at our place” he whispered, looking at Lucas, who looked at the picture before growling.

“Let’s go” Johnny ordered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	77. Case 11: The Song of Gregory Yates - Part 4

At Jungwoo and Lucas’s apartment, Hendery used a lock pick to pick the lock before Lucas bust down the door and headed inside, Ten and Xiaojun following behind; assault rifles in their hands. They all searched the apartment, but couldn’t find anything suspicious.

“It’s clear” Ten called out as Hendery walked over to a closet that was held closed by a chair.

“Hyung” he called. Johnny looked over before he nodded.

“Open it” he ordered. Hendery nodded and moved the chair away before throwing open the door, revealing Nellie sitting on the floor with her hands bound.

“No, no! Stop, stop!” she screamed. 

“Where's Yates? Where'd he go?” Lucas demanded. Nellie shook her head.

“I don't know. He's not out there?” she exclaimed. Johnny frowned.

“He left you here?” he asked. 

“He said to stay inside. He said if I left, he'd be outside waiting to kill me. Is he gone?” Nellie exclaimed. Lucas said nothing before he held out his hand to her.

“Come on. You'll be okay” he soothed. Nellie looked at him before she nodded and took his hand, allowing him to help her out of the closet.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the station, everyone was heading to their desks when Lucas looked over and smirked.

“Well, look what the cat dragged in” Lucas called out as Yuta and Taeyong walked up the stairs.

“Skyistan, Skyistan. Now, why we got to keep coming here? You can't catch these bad guys on your own?” Yuta teased. Hendery smirked.

“We wouldn't have to if Asmaye could keep killers in their jails” he replied. Yuta looked over at him and smiled.

“Wow, the loudmouth teenager” he teased, playfully pinching his cheeks.

“Yuta” Taeyong scolded gently before he looked over at Jungwoo, who was working at his desk, and smiled softly. He then walked over to him and stood before his desk.

“Jungwoo” he greeted, making Jungwoo look up at him with wide eyes.

“Captain” he replied. Taeyong chuckled.

“Taeyong, please” he stated before he crossed his arms.

“Been getting updates on you. You okay?” he asked gently. Jungwoo blinked, not really sure how to answer. Taeyong nodded slightly before he looked up to see Ten and Johnny smiling slightly at him.

“Glad you're here” Johnny greeted. Taeyong dipped his head to them before he looked at Jungwoo and smiled, giving his arm a squeeze. Jungwoo dipped his head, grateful that Taeyong didn’t pry any further. Taeyong then let go of his arm before he headed over to Johnny’s office, where Johnny and Ten were already waiting for him.

“So it's all about this nurse, Nellie” he stated as he sat down. Ten hummed.

“Well, looks like. I mean, he terrorized that apartment building when he couldn't find her, then he went straight to the college” he explained. Taeyong frowned.

“She doesn't fit Yates' profile” he stated. Johnny huffed.

“Yeah, not to mention he's a few miles from Ustrana but came here instead” he replied. Taeyong nodded slowly.

“We have to figure out who she is to him” he declared. Johnny nodded in agreement.

“I was about to head downstairs, start asking” he stated. Taeyong then motioned to with his thumb towards Jungwoo.

“How's Jungwoo?” he asked. Ten chuckled.

“Pissed at him, but he’s alive” he replied, motioning with his head towards Johnny. Johnny looked up at him with narrowed eyes, but they were fond, making Taeyong smile softly to himself before he cleared his throat.

“How about I interview Nellie with him?” he offered. Ten and Johnny nodded.

“That might be good” Ten agreed.

~*~*~*~*~

“I...I was putting books in my trunk. He said he had a flat down the road and asked if I had one of those...” Nellie started before she paused, looking at Jungwoo for help.

“A lug wrench?” he offered. Nellie nodded before she let out a shuddery breath.

“When I reached for it, he...I don't know him. He wasn't my boyfriend. I don't know why he wanted me. I...I can't” she whimpered.

“Just take a breath, Nellie” Taeyong soothed from where he was sitting off to the side; moral support for Jungwoo.

“We just...we just need to find him, okay? And you can help us do that” he explained. Nellie took a deep breath before she nodded.

“Did he say what he wanted or why he came to you specifically?” Jungwoo asked. 

“He...he talked about home, how everybody needs a home. He... he asked a lot of questions about my past, where I grew up, what my parents were like, where they are now. He kept saying how everybody wants a home, to go home. I thought he was gonna kill me” Nellie whimpered. Taeyong then tilted his head.

“Is Carr your given last name?” he asked. 

“I'm divorced. The last name I was born with is Williams. Why?” Nellie asked. Taeyong nodded slowly before he looked over at Jungwoo.

“We need to talk” he whispered before looking back at Nellie.

“Excuse us” he bid as he stood up and headed out of the room.

“Did anyone reach my mother? I... if she's seen the news...is there just a phone I can use?” Nellie asked. Jungwoo looked at her and nodded.

“Of course. Just give us one minute” he asked before he followed Taeyong out of the room.

~*~*~*~*~

“The name "Nellie Williams" was searched on one of the phones from Yates' cell” Taeyong declared after calling everyone for a quick briefing. 

“Then why would he let her go?” Lucas asked, confused. Taeyong sighed.

“To send a message to Jungwoo. Yates’ first note said, _"I'll see you at home"_ ” he started.

“Mmhm” Johnny hummed.

“He asked Nellie about her home. He went to Jungwoo's apartment, his home” Taeyong continued, trying to paint a picture for everyone.

“Where was Yates born?” he asked.

“North Acristan” Xiaojun answered. Ten turned and looked at him.

“Let's find out for sure” he ordered. Xiaojun and the others nodded, quickly getting to work as Johnny, Taeyong, and Ten headed into Johnny’s office.

~*~*~*~*~

At a truck stop, an older man got out of the cab of the truck he was driving. As he turned and began to walk away, another person came up behind him.

“Excuse me, sir?” the person called out, making the man turn to see Yates standing before him.

“I'm working on a case with the Skyistan police. Do you know a Nellie Williams?” he asked, flashing a badge. The man looked at him before his eyes widened.

“Oh, you’re—” he started when Yates raised a pipe and whacked him in the head with it, sending him to the ground.

~*~*~*~*~

“Hyung” Hendery called out a little while later, making Johnny, Taeyong, and Ten turn before heading out of Johnny’s office.

“Yeah?” Johnny replied. 

“So, Nellie grew up Nellie Williams to parents Michael and Susan Williams here in Skyistan. The thing is, is they also had a son by the name of Gregory” Hendery explained. Everyone in the office fell silent before Jungwoo’s eyes widened.

“Yates is Nellie’s brother” he whispered, just as Lucas looked over at them, phone in hand.

“Nellie's mother is downstairs. Susan Baldwin” he stated. Johnny nodded.

“Okay” he murmured before he pointed to Lucas.

“You and Ten, as soon as she's seen Nellie, go interview her” he ordered before looking at Hendery and Xiaojun.

“Run his name through DCFS. Do a national check, too. Anything you can get” he ordered. The two young men nodded.

“On it” they replied.

~*~*~*~*~

“Gregory was a difficult baby. He was...off...from the beginning, and once he got language he said terrible things. He became obsessed with fire and set one in our basement by the time he was four years old. It wasn't an accident” Susan explained to Ten and Lucas in the interview room, Jungwoo watching from the other side of the glass.

“When I became pregnant with Nellie, small animals would turn up dead inside the house. We were terrified of him. Terrified for the new baby. We decided that Michael should take Gregory on one of his hauls and...” she continued.

“Put him up for adoption in another state. North Acristan” Ten stated. Susan nodded.

“A pastor agreed to place him. Our marriage didn't last much longer after that” she explained. Lucas frowned.

“Are you in touch with Gregory's father?” he asked. Susan looked over at him and shook her head.

“No, Nellie is. Oh, Michael's on the road most weeks, but...” she started before she sighed heavily.

“This Gregory Yates that's wanted for all of these awful things...” she asked, looking between Ten and Lucas. Neither man had to say anything; she already knew the answer: he was her son.

~*~*~*~*~

“So serial killers often kill the same person over and over again. Susan is a brunette. She has brown eyes. She would've been 25 when Michael took him to North Acristan” Taeyong explained as he and Yuta stood before the Skyistan PD detectives. Xiaojun frowned.

“But he's been in Skyistan before. He could have looked for her at any point” he argued. Yuta huffed.

“Michael and Susan Williams are pretty common names, but she remarried and changed her name. It might've taken him time to find that new name” he explained.

“Time he had plenty of; in jail” Lucas added.

“But he's had a cell phone before, and it's been 40 years since they gave him up, so what...” Jungwoo started.

“Back at the hospital, Rudnick said that Yates was obsessed with one thing. Revenge” Taeyong explained. Ten frowned.

“If Yates wanted revenge on anyone, it would be Rudnick. Rudnick killed Yates’ fiancée...” he started when the pieces started falling into place.

“Yates' pregnant fiancée. She was pregnant when she was killed” Jungwoo deduced. Taeyong nodded.

“Just like Yates’ mother was with Nellie when they gave him away” he agreed.

“And that triggered something inside him” Yuta added.

“And when he couldn't find them on his own, he went through Nellie. He's come here to finish 'em off. That's his end game” Johnny declared.

“But what if it's more than that? I mean, if you look at his movements, he's...he's frenzied. I don't think that he expects to make it out of here alive” Taeyong mused. Jungwoo growled.

“Neither do I” he snarled, making Lucas, Ten, and Johnny look over at him.

“If the pregnancy led him back here to his mother...” he started as he looked back at Johnny, who nodded slightly.

~*~*~*~*~

After the brief meeting, Taeyong walked into the interrogation room, looking at Susan.

“We need your address” he stated, handing her a pen and pad. Susan frowned.

“Why? Do... do you think he's there?” she asked as she took the pen and began writing.

“You...you and Nellie will stay here until it's safe. Detective Kim will be here” Taeyong assured. Susan blinked before she nodded.

“Oh...” she murmured. She then handed the pen and pad to Taeyong, who dipped his head.

“Okay, great. Thank you” he thanked before he rushed out of the interrogation room.

~*~*~*~*~

In the locker room, Jungwoo was pacing back and forth, fury boiling within him. As he was pacing, Johnny calmly walked over to him and raised an eyebrow, making him stop and look at him.

“I had him. In the woods, I had him. If I didn't stop for that little girl, if I kept moving through that cabin, those four nurses would be alive right now” he spat. Johnny sighed.

“Jungwoo…don't do this to yourself” he soothed. Jungwoo snarled.

“That's reason number two” he hissed before he walked over to his locker and yanked it open, showing Johnny a picture of himself, Lucas, Minhee, Ten, and Johnny all laughing together.

“That's reason number one” he spat.

“You're not going out, Jungwoo” Ten called out as he walked over to join Johnny. Jungwoo glared at him.

“Why not?” he demanded. Ten sighed.

“This is exactly what he wants; get in your head, throw you off your game” he explained. Jungwoo growled.

“How can I be "off" my game if you two won't even let me in it?” he shouted. Johnny snarled, eyes flashing red.

“And how am I supposed to put you out there? You can't even keep your cool with us” he snapped. Jungwoo ran his hands through his hair before he looked at his bosses.

“I want to be the one to bring him in, Johnny” he declared. Johnny just gave him a look.

“You want to be the one to get in a confrontation with him. That’s not being good police” he scolded.

“That is not where my head is at right now. You have my word” Jungwoo assured. Johnny and Ten both shook their heads.

“I don't believe you” Johnny stated before he turned and walked away. Ten looked at him apologetically.

“I’m sorry, Jungwoo, but you’re staying here” he ordered before following after Johnny. Jungwoo looked after them in disbelief before he growled and slammed his locker door shut. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	78. Case 11: The Song of Gregory Yates - CASE CLOSED

After the shouting match with Johnny and Ten, Jungwoo headed downstairs and stood beside Taeyong, watching as the others loaded their guns and strapped on their bullet-resistant vests. Taeyong then made eye-contact with Johnny, who nodded, before glancing over at Jungwoo.

“Look, for what it's worth, if I was your lieutenant, I would have done the same thing” he stated before he gently grasped Jungwoo’s arm.

“We’ll get him” he assured before he stepped out of the gate to join the others. Jungwoo watched them all leave before he sighed and headed back upstairs.

~*~*~*~*~

As soon as he made it back upstairs, Nellie came running towards him.

“Detective. It's my mother. It says it's coming from me, but I don't have my phone” she exclaimed, handing him her mother’s phone. Jungwoo frowned before he answered the call.

_“Oh, it's my two favorite people on my dear mother's phone. What are the odds?”_ Yates greeted as he stood behind Michael, who had a large, bleeding headwound. 

“Dad?” Nellie exclaimed before she shook her head.

“No. What is this? Why is he doing this?” she demanded, looking at Jungwoo, who quickly placed the phone to his chest before taking Nellie by the arm and dragging her over to the desk sergeant.

“Guard her. Get her mother. And buzz me up” he ordered as he turned and headed for the stairs. The door quickly buzzed, allowing him entrance as the desk sergeant motioned for another officer to lead Nellie away.

~*~*~*~*~

_“Did you think at all about what I said about Cain and Abel? I mean, we've all got a little murderer in us. It's a gift from our parents”_ Yates explained as Jungwoo walked up the steps and over to Hyunjin’s desk, quickly grabbing a pen and pad before writing down “Ping Nellie’s phone”; never once taking his eyes off of Yates.

 _“Isn’t that right, Dad?”_ Yates snarled as he looked down at Michael, who was groaning and whimpering.

“Is that why you called? To tell me that?” Jungwoo asked as he walked over to the break room and shut the door so that no one could hear the conversation.

 _“Are you recording me again? You are really just begging for a confession, aren't you?”_ Yates sneered. Jungwoo huffed.

“So are you. You want to tell the story of your sister, your mother, your father so bad, you created all of this, so start talking or tell me where you are” he ordered. Yates smirked.

 _“I knew I could count on you, Detective”_ he praised. 

“When we first met, you said I reminded you of someone. It's your mother. I remind you of your mother, don't I?” Jungwoo asked.

 _“We'll talk about that, but let's...let's begin with the fact that your team went to the wrong place”_ Yates stated, making Jungwoo’s eyes widen.

~*~*~*~*~

“No hot spots?” Yifan asked over his walkie as he stood before a burnt house.

 _“Not that we can tell, Chief”_ a voice replied over the walkie, just as Johnny pulled up and got out, making Yifan look over at him in confusion.

“What are you doing here?” he asked.

“Greg Yates set this fire. Is he here? Have you seen anything?” Johnny demanded as Yuta walked up to stand beside him. Yifan frowned.

“Call just came in 30 minutes ago” he stated. Johnny looked at him in shock.

“30? From where?” he demanded. Yifan motioned to a place not too far from where they were standing.

“Phone booth on the corner” he replied. Johnny blinked before he growled and turned back to his car, Yuta following him.

“Get on the radio. Call the unit. Text Jungwoo. Tell him now” Johnny barked. Yuta nodded.

“Done” he replied.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the station, Jungwoo’s phone pinged, making Yates chuckle.

 _“Now, that will be Detective Nakamoto”_ he stated before he snickered.

 _“Have you figured out where I am yet?”_ he asked, just as Hyunjin ran up to the breakroom door and stuck a sticky note on it.

“Yes” Jungwoo growled as he looked at the address.

 _“Then come. Ooh, and we'll talk more”_ Yates stated as he walked over and leaned on his father, who whimpered and shook his head.

 _“No, no, no, no”_ he begged.

 _“But come alone or there will be another body to add to the list, and...the answer is yes. You do remind me of my mother. Right before she threw me in the trash”_ Yates snarled before hanging up. Jungwoo looked at the phone before he snarled.

~*~*~*~*~

After getting the address from Hyunjin, Jungwoo got on his bike and stuck his Bluetooth in his ear before calling Johnny, telling him about what Yates wanted as he sped down the street towards the address.

 _“Stand down. You are not going in alone. You hear me? That's an order”_ Johnny growled in his ear.

“He'll kill Michael Williams if I don't show up” Jungwoo exclaimed.

 _“That's what he wants you to think”_ Johnny argued.

“It's 34th and Sangamon, Johnny. It's his childhood home. I'm almost there” Jungwoo stated.

 _“34th? I'm five minutes away. Jungwoo, you are not meeting him alone. You hear me? Jungwoo!”_ Johnny exclaimed. Jungwoo shook his head.

“You know I can't do that” he apologized before he hung up the call and revved the engine, hurrying towards the place. 

~*~*~*~*~

Jungwoo soon arrived at the address, taking a deep breath before he got off his bike and pulled out his gun, slowly walking towards the door. He first peaked inside before he took a deep breath and opened the door, stepping inside. He looked around, not really able to see anything, until a sudden crash was heard above him. He jumped before he looked up, taking another deep breath before he slowly made his way up the stairs, gun and flashlight out in front of him. He slowly walked forward, only to come upon Yates standing by a large hole in the floor, holding Michael Williams by the back of the chair he was sitting on; a noose around the old man’s neck.

“Detective Kim. So good to see you again” Yates purred. Jungwoo growled.

“Let him go” he ordered. Yates scoffed.

“I could, but I am the only thing holding him up” he stated as Michael whimpered.

“Let me call an ambulance for him. Then it'll be just you and me, just like you wanted” Jungwoo offered as he pulled out his phone. Yates shook his head.

“No, he'll be dead long before they get here” he stated before he motioned with his chin to the phone.

“Put that away” he ordered. Jungwoo did what he was told and clicked off his phone before putting it back into his pocket.

“Then you shoot me, and he goes over” Yates continued as he slowly pushed the chair with his leg towards the hole.

“No, no!” Michael exclaimed.

“Stop. Stop!” Jungwoo exclaimed, quickly raising his hands in surrender. He then slowly put his gun away before raising his hands again.

“This is it” he stated. Yates then motioned to a chair nearby.

“Have a seat” he instructed. Jungwoo moved slowly towards the seat before sitting down; Yates quickly sitting down as well, using his foot to keep Michael from falling into the hole.

“Emma Smith was a nursing student, but what she really wanted to be was a surgeon, a helper. Do you know who suffers the most? Helpers, because right up until that moment when you snap their neck, they really believe in the goodness of people. She thought that I would spare her because she was three months pregnant. I mean, tha…that is why I picked her, a pregnant nurse, as my first victim. Mm, the symmetry. You did want this from the beginning, right, Detective?” he asked. 

~*~*~*~*~

Outside, Johnny pulled up in his own van, noticing Jungwoo’s bike outside.

“Damn it Jungwoo” he murmured before he took out his gun and ran towards the building.

~*~*~*~*~

“Now, my first pair, oh, that...ooh, that was electric. Rebecca and, uh, oh, Mari. They fought for each other so hard, but in the end...” Yates continued as he stood up, pulling Michael’s chair farther back as he stood up.

“Because, you know, you can keep a woman alive for days” he stated.

~*~*~*~*~

Once Johnny entered the building, he quietly looked around, making sure to be quiet so that he didn’t alert Yates.

~*~*~*~*~

“Oh, suffering. It's such an underrated art, isn't it? But you know who suffered the most beautifully of them all?” Yates asked before he pulled out the photo that Jungwoo kept in his locker, showing it to him.

“Poor Minhee” he cooed before he smiled at Jungwoo.

“Look, we are so similar, you and I. Damaged by a terrible mother. A father who abandoned us when we could have saved it, and we tried to overcome, didn't we? To become healers, but turns out, fixing people doesn't pave over what you're born with” he stated. Jungwoo growled; his parents were nothing but good people, he didn’t know what the hell Yates was talking about, but he wasn’t about to argue with him because if he did, Michael will die.

“Then what do you want? Why am I here?” he demanded. Yates smiled slightly.

“An execution always needs one thing” he started as he pulled the chair back.

“No” Michael begged.

“A witness” Yates purred before he shoved the chair forward, sending Michael into the hole; the noose immediately snapping his neck as it suddenly tightened around it.

“No!” Jungwoo shouted, pulling his gun out of its holster as he shot to his feet.

~*~*~*~*~

Johnny was still looking around when he heard the chair crash to the floor after Yates pushed it into the hole. His head immediately snapped up and he quickly, but quietly, headed up the stairs; gun drawn.

~*~*~*~*~

“There's no saving people. We're killers, and at the end of the day, what is more liberating than killing someone?” Yates asked as he reached for an ice pick, pointing it at Jungwoo, who had his gun trained on him.

“Bad begets bad begets bad, and you, my lovely, you get to tell this story” he stated. Jungwoo shook his head.

“Don’t move. You hear me? Stay where you are” he ordered, but Yates kept coming closer.

“You write my name down in a police report. You talk to the press. You testify in court. You are my balladeer; singing the song of Gregory William Yates over and over and over” he purred.

“I said don't move” Jungwoo warned.

“You put me away. Take me in. Take me” Yates ordered before he rushed at Jungwoo, ice pick raised.

“Take me!” he shouted. Before he could get any closer, Jungwoo fired. Johnny, who was at the end of the hallway that led to the room, immediately came running; putting his gun away the minute he saw Jungwoo. He then slowly walked over to stand beside Jungwoo, both men looking down to see Greg Yates dead in the hole that he dropped his father down into, a single gunshot between the eyes. Johnny said nothing before he looked over at Jungwoo and noticed how shaken he looked, so he reached out and gently tapped his arm, holding out his hand. Jungwoo handed him his gun, hands trembling slightly as he did so, and once the gun was in Johnny’s hand, he put it away before pulling Jungwoo in for a comforting hug; Jungwoo immediately burying his face in Johnny’s shoulder.

~*~*~*~*~

“We are pleased to announce that the extended manhunt for escaped convict and murderer Gregory Yates has come to a close. At approximately 11:30 p.m. this evening, the combined task force located Mr. Yates at his childhood residence. Yates killed Mr. Williams during an extended standoff. He then threatened a member of the Skyistan Police Department's Intelligence Unit. This officer, fearing for his life, shot and killed Yates” Ten, dressed in his formal police uniform, stated before he cleared his throat.

“I need to say that this Intelligence Unit never gave up and never backed down. This unit serves the city without recognition or medals, but every single one of them deserves our thanks tonight for their bravery and their continued service. Our hearts go out to the victims and their families, and our special thanks go to the state of Asmaye for the cooperation of Captain Lee Taeyong and Sergeant Nakamoto Yuta. The multi-jurisdictional work was instrumental in justice being served” he finished.

~*~*~*~*~

“You know, what Jungwoo went through, that can...that can screw a person up for a while” Taeyong stated as he walked out of Johnny’s office, glancing over at Johnny. Johnny nodded in agreement before he shrugged.

“Well, for what it's worth, he’s got his family to walk him through it” he stated. Taeyong smiled.

“That's not such a bad thing” he replied, just as Ten walked over to them; leaning against Johnny.

“You did good, Sergeant” Taeyong praised. Ten smirked.

“Thanks. I’d like to never have to do it again, if I’m being honest” he replied, just as Jungwoo walked in, immediately heading over to them.

“Looks like it'll be ruled a clean kill. Fleeing felon with a weapon, so…” he started before he sighed heavily and turned, walking away from them. Johnny, Ten, and Taeyong said nothing as they watched him walk over to Hendery and Xiaojun, who were taking down the maps and pictures off the whiteboard.

“Hey. Can I have that?” he asked softly, motioning to the picture of Minhee in Hendery’s hand. Hendery looked at him before he nodded.

“Sure” he replied, handing him the photo.

“Thanks” Jungwoo thanked before he headed over to his desk, sitting down. Lucas, who had been watching him like a hawk the entire time, immediately got up from his desk and walked over to Jungwoo’s, leaning against it.

“Hey. You doing okay?” he asked gently. Jungwoo looked up at him and sighed shakily.

“I don’t know yet” he croaked. Lucas nodded slowly before he reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a squeeze. Jungwoo smiled wetly and reached up, covering Lucas’s hand with his. Johnny, Ten, and Taeyong watched for a moment before Johnny glanced at Taeyong.

“Excuse me” he murmured as he slipped out from underneath Ten and walked over to Lucas and Jungwoo, placing a strong, yet gentle, hand on both of them. Lucas and Jungwoo looked up at him and he smiled; proud as hell of both of them. Taeyong and Ten watched; small, fond smiles on both of their faces. Taeyong then looked over at Ten and motioned with his head.

“You should join them” he murmured. Ten glanced over at him before he smiled and nodded, walking over to join Johnny, Lucas, and Jungwoo; the three men smiling when they saw him. Taeyong let out a soft chuff as he watched, smiling softly; he couldn’t wait to get home to his own little family.

~*~*~*~*~

Later on that evening, Taeyong and Jungwoo were sitting at a bar, both men enjoying a finger of whiskey in silence. Taeyong wasn’t going to push it if Jungwoo wasn’t ready to talk and Jungwoo was more than grateful just to have someone, who wasn’t Lucas, Johnny, or Ten, sit with him and not ask any questions. After a while, Jungwoo looked over at Taeyong.

“Is it wrong that I'm kind of relieved that I'm the one who killed him?” he asked. Taeyong looked back at him and shook his head.

“Gregory Yates murdered your friend. He came at you with an ice pick. So no, it’s not wrong, but it doesn't mean that you'll sleep tonight” he replied. Jungwoo frowned.

“So what do you do?” he asked. Taeyong hummed, thinking, before he took a sip of his whiskey. He then put down his glass before looking back at Jungwoo.

“Talking helps” he replied. Jungwoo frowned.

“Really?” he asked. Taeyong hummed and nodded.

“To anyone who will listen. Johnny, Lucas, Ten, the other detectives; just getting it out is the first step to healing. And it’s a long process, but…you’ll feel better when you’re not the only one who has to deal with it” he explained before he looked Jungwoo in the eyes.

“My phone is always on. Always” he assured. Jungwoo smiled before he picked up his glass and held it out to Taeyong, who smirked and picked up his own.

“Taeyong” Jungwoo stated. Taeyong’s smirk turned into a smile as he gently clinked his glass with Jungwoo’s.

“Jungwoo” he replied.

**_CASE CLOSED_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year's Eve! Hope you guys have a safe and happy new year!
> 
> Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	79. Case 12: Or Just Look Like One - Part 1

It was a quiet night as an old woman was being guided out of an ambulance towards the Asmaye General Hospital ER entrance, greeted by a smiling doctor.

“How are you tonight, Mrs. Nishimori?” he asked. 

“I think I got the AIDS again” the old woman, Mrs. Nishimori, replied. The doctor nodded and hummed.

“Oh, that and I had a heart attack” Mrs. Nishimori added. The doctor smiled slightly.

“And the Ebola?” he asked. Mrs. Nishimori smiled.

“Your pills cleared that all up” she replied. The doctor nodded before he motioned for one of the EMTs to help him guide the gurney into the hospital.

“Okay, come on, let's take a look at you” he stated, just as a red SUV suddenly blared their horn. The doctor glanced over at them, but decided to ignore it and continue towards the hospital. The car horn blared again, making the doctor groan before looking over at one of the EMTs.

“See what their problem is” he ordered. The EMT nodded.

“Happily” he replied as he turned towards the SUV.

“Hey, this is a hospital!” he shouted, just as the SUV suddenly sped off, revealing a young woman lying on the wet asphalt.

“Dr. Jung!” he shouted.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Jaehyun walked into the ER, where Taeyong was already waiting for him.

“Crime scene information?” he asked, walking over to his husband.

“She was dumped on the street outside the hospital” Taeyong replied, just as an officer walked in and handed Jaehyun an evidence bag.

“Name on the school ID is Theresa Burgess. She's from Qusheagua. This little backpack is hers” he stated, placing a little backpack in an evidence bag on the bed. Jaehyun looked at the ID before he showed it to Taeyong, who hummed.

“Pretty girl” he murmured. Jaehyun huffed.

“Yeah, until someone did this to her” he stated, motioning to the beaten girl in the bed. Just then, the door to the ER opened, making Taeyong and Jaehyun look up to see Sungchan walking towards them.

“Sungchan” Taeyong greeted, eyes wide in surprise. Sungchan smiled.

“Hi” he replied as Jaehyun frowned.

“You were on call when this happened?” he asked. Sungchan nodded.

“Mhm” he replied. Taeyong frowned and crossed his arms.

“What happened to her?” he asked. Sungchan sighed.

“A vicious attack. Double puncture wounds. Neat little set of two, maybe a claw hammer” he replied. 

“Is she going to pull through?” Taeyong asked. Sungchan sighed again.

“I stitched over 30 separate wounds before I stopped counting... face, breasts, genitals. The puncture wounds will heal” he started.

“But…?” Jaehyun asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“An apparent amphetamine overdose worries me more. CNS damage is severe. The respirator's doing her breathing for her. There's something else...she was raped with a wooden object” Sungchan stated as he held up a little glass jar full of solution and little slivers of wood. Jaehyun frowned and motioned to the jar.

“What's that?” he asked.

“Splinters” Sungchan deadpanned. Taeyong and Jaehyun looked at one another before they nodded, thanking Sungchan before turning and heading out, heading back to the precinct.

~*~*~*~*~

“Her name is Theresa Burgess. She's 16 years old, a model. This is her portfolio” Taeyong stated as he handed out files to Donghyuck, Yuta, and Sicheng before he looked over at Jaehyun.

“Wanna fill them in?” he asked. Jaehyun nodded.

“Yeah, she was dumped outside of Rosewood Emergency Room at about 3:33 a.m. The EMT saw a late-model sports utility vehicle, dark red or black. The vic was repeatedly stabbed with what we think is a claw hammer, and raped with a wooden object. She is at present in a coma” he stated as Taeyong grabbed an evidence bag and handed it over to Yuta.

“Prescription amphetamines were found in her knapsack, which is consistent with the overdose symptoms she suffered. Bloodwork and a rape kit are at the lab” he added as Yuta looked at the evidence bag before passing it off to Donghyuck and Sicheng so that they could look at it. 

“It's someone who knows her” Sicheng murmured as he looked at the file. Yuta huffed.

“Sure it is. Now if you could give us his name and address, we can go home early” he teased. Sicheng looked over at him and raised his hand, Yuta quickly covering his face to protect himself from getting flicked. Sicheng smirked before he turned serious again.

“Face, breast, genitals? That says, _"Bitch, I'm going to erase you."_ Then the attacker decides to drop her off at the ER. It's the classic signs of remorse and familiarity” he stated. Taeyong hummed.

“Could be one-way familiarity...some loser fantasizes a relationship with her” he agreed. 

“Like how David Chapman thought he had a relationship with John Lennon” Jaehyun added as Donghyuck held up Theresa’s picture.

“Her picture is everywhere” he declared. Yuta nodded.

“Tell me about it. I spent my lunch hour the other day gazing across the street at her. Three stories high on a billboard for conditioning rinse. Felt like I had a relationship with her” he grumbled. The others chuckled, Sicheng gently punching him in the arm, as Jaehyun cleared his throat.

“According to her daybook, last appointment was a photo shoot at Seventh Ave and 27th Street. Uniforms got the names of 12 others that were at that shoot” he stated. Sicheng frowned.

“Where's the family on this?” he asked. 

“The mother lives upstate. Hasn't returned our messages” Jaehyun answered.

“Father said he was at home in Qusheagua at the time” Taeyong added. Donghyuck, Yuta, and Sicheng looked at them in shock.

“While his 16-year-old daughter was out roaming the streets at 3:00 in the morning?” Donghyuck exclaimed. Taeyong huffed.

“Tell me about it. He's now at the hospital with his daughter” he grumbled before he looked at Jaehyun.

“Be sympathetic, but not too” he ordered before turning to the others.

“You guys, take statements from the models” he ordered. Donghyuck shook his head.

“Can’t. Got court. Comic-book guy” he reminded. Yuta smirked.

“Ah, "Haechan vs. 'Rape Man."' That's equal to Godzilla vs. Megalon” he teased. Donghyuck stuck his tongue out at him as Taeyong chuckled.

“Well, my money's on Haechan” he stated, making Donghyuck look up at him and smile.

“Thanks hyung” he thanked. 

“Mine, too. I'll double that bet” Jaehyun called out before he turned and headed out the door to head to the hospital; Yuta and Sicheng heading out to speak to the supermodels.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year! Hope you guys all have a safe and happy day! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	80. Case 12: Or Just Look Like One - Part 2

When Jaehyun arrived at the hospital, they walked into the intensive care unit and saw Theresa’s father standing before her bed.

“Mr. Burgess?” he called out before he walked over to him.

“Lieutenant Jung” he greeted as Mr. Burgess motioned to his daughter.

“Who do you think did this?” he demanded. Jaehyun sighed.

“At this point, an unknown assailant” he replied. Mr. Burgess let out a huff.

“This city. It's a cesspool” he grumbled. Jaehyun sighed.

“Unfortunately these things can happen everywhere. Especially late at night with a minor” he stated, giving Mr. Burgess a look. Mr. Burgess shook his head.

“Jazmin was always old for her age” he explained. Jaehyun frowned.

“Jazmin? I thought her name was Theresa” he stated. Mr. Burgess shook his head.

“We changed it. It's a trademark” he explained. Jaehyun raised an eyebrow.

“Trademark? Kind of like "Jewel" or "Cher"?” he asked. Mr. Burgess huffed.

“Sounds kind of silly now, doesn't it? But we had big plans together” he explained. Jaehyun hummed.

“When was the last time you saw her?” he asked. Mr. Burgess sighed.

“I dropped her off at the shoot around 6:00” he answered.

“And then what?” Jaehyun asked, crossing his arms.

“They really don't like parents hanging around. I should have called. I was worried sick. But I didn't want to seem like a troublemaker” Mr. Burgess answered. Jaehyun looked at him incredulously.

“You wonder where your daughter is at 3:00 in the morning, you're worried about being a troublemaker?” he asked, making Mr. Burgess whirl on him.

“Don't you think I know now how foolish that sounds?” he snapped before he looked back at Theresa.

“My beautiful daughter. I mean, she wanted to become something, and I would do anything for her. Her agent said I shouldn't worry and I trusted her” he murmured. Jaehyun narrowed his eyes.

“Who is this agent?” he asked.

“Nina Lazlo” Mr. Burgess answered.

~*~*~*~*~

“How's Theresa doing?” Nina asked after Jaehyun explained who he was and why he was there. 

“Not well” Jaehyun answered. Nina sighed.

“If this could happen to her, this could happen to anyone. Everyone loved her” she explained, looking at Jaehyun who just narrowed his eyes.

“The past tense is a bit premature, Miss Lazlo” he chided. Nina blinked before she huffed.

“I'm sorry. All of my girls are afraid to go out” she explained. Jaehyun hummed.

“Bad for business. Her father said you were her chaperone Monday night” he stated. Nina looked at him with wide eyes.

“Her "chaperone"? I handle over 150 models” she explained. Jaehyun raised an eyebrow.

“All of them minors?” he guessed. Nina huffed.

“I don't fire them on their 18th birthdays” she grumbled. 

“Was Jazmin the lead?” Jaehyun inquired. Nina nodded.

“Yes. But there were eight other girls on the shoot. I went to set, everything looked "copacetic," so I left” she explained before she turned to her computer.

“And what time was that?” Jaehyun asked.

“About…10:00” Nina answered. Jaehyun nodded slowly.

“The doctor said that Theresa was using amphetamines” he stated, making Nina look up at him.

“Oh?” she asked. Jaehyun huffed.

“Yeah, oh. Do you know anything about that?” he asked. Nina shook her head.

“No” she replied as she turned back to her computer.

“Well, who was in charge after you left?” Jaehyun asked. Nina frowned.

“In charge? In what sense?” she replied. Jaehyun gave her a look as he put his hands on his hips.

“In the sense that you had underage models working after midnight. So, who was in charge?” he snapped. Nina sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

“I suppose the photographer, Carlo Parisi” she replied before she began to shuffle through some papers. Jaehyun looked at her before he huffed and crossed his arms.

“Am I boring you, Ms. Lazlo?” he asked sarcastically. Nina looked up from her paperwork and narrowed her eyes at them.

“A little, yes!” she exclaimed before she motioned to her agency.

“This is a huge, huge business, Lieutenant. The girls will do whatever it takes to get where they want to be” she snapped. Jaehyun raised an eyebrow.

“That include the emergency room at Asmaye General Hospital?” he sneered. Nina scoffed and rolled her eyes.

“Please” she murmured before she put on a pair of speaker sets. Jaehyun hummed and turned to leave before he paused.

“Ms. Lazlo?” he called out.

“What?” Nina snapped.

“What kind of car do you drive?” Jaehyun inquired.

“An Acura. White. Why?” Nina replied, looking up at him. Jaehyun shook his head and smiled.

“Just asking” he replied before he turned and walked away.

~*~*~*~*~

After speaking with Nina, Jaehyun went to go look for Carlo Parisi, the photographer who took Jazmin’s photos Monday night. 

“Carlo Parisi?” he called out after finally finding the photographer, walking over to his shoot.

“Not now!” the man called back.

“Carlo Parisi” Jaehyun boomed, making the man stop taking photographs and look at his models.

“Just stay there” he ordered before he turned and headed towards Jaehyun, handing over his camera to one of the workers on set before standing before Jaehyun.

“Who are you?” he asked. Jaehyun pulled out his badge.

“Lieutenant Jung Jaehyun” he answered before he put his badge away and crossed his arms.

“You photographed Jazmin on Monday night” he stated. Carlo nodded.

“Yeah” he agreed.

“Yeah, I need to account for her comings and goings” Jaehyun explained. Carlo laughed.

“Ha, good luck” he sneered. Jaehyun shook his head.

“Let’s start again, Carlo, **you** need to account for her” he stated. Carlo nodded before he crossed his arms.

“Alright. Her father dropped her off at hair and makeup around 6:00, I think. I was setting lights. We got going around midnight and wrapped around 3:00 or 4:00” he stated. 

“What time did Jazmin leave?” Jaehyun inquired. Carlo shook his head.

“I don't remember. I finished with her early, but when I'm shooting, I go, you know, all right-brained. The time just slips away” he replied. Jaehyun hummed before he placed his hands on his hips.

“Well, uh, did she have a friend or somebody that kept tabs on her whereabouts?” he asked.

“On set, there's so much energy you're wired. It's all a blur after a while” Carlo answered.

“Adrenalin or methedrine?” Jaehyun deadpanned. Carlo gave him a look.

“Now come on. I run a clean set. Been off everything stronger than cappuccino for 17 months, four days” he replied. 

“How about the girl?” Jaehyun asked.

“This is Giuliani, Asmaye. I thought you guys won the drug war, eh?” Carlo teased. Jaehyun didn’t laugh as he gave Carlo a look.

“What kind of car do you drive?” he asked.

“A Porsche Boxster” Carlo answered before he motioned to his shoot.

“Now, uh, if you’ll excuse me—” he started. Jaehyun nodded.

“I’ll excuse you” he agreed. Carlo nodded and headed back to his shoot as Jaehyun turned and looked over at a young woman wearing sunglasses.

“Pardon me. You look familiar to me” he stated. The young woman blinked before she smiled.

“I did some modeling when I was younger” she replied. Jaehyun shook his head.

“No, the Ricky Blaine case. You testified against Ricky Blaine, didn’t you?” he asked. The young woman looked at him before she smiled again.

“You have a pretty good memory. A lot of girls testified against the Measuring Man” she explained. Jaehyun hummed.

“At least they finally made a case against him and sent his ass to Creedmore” he mused. The woman shook her head.

“Not anymore. He just got out a couple of weeks ago. They sent me this little postcard. Twenty cents for victim’s rights” she sneered. Jaehyun blinked before he thanked the woman, turning to go and find this “Ricky Blaine” and have a little chat with him.

~*~*~*~*~

Once he figured out where Ricky worked, Jaehyun walked into the auto shop to talk to him.

“Ricky Blaine!” he called out as he walked over to the man, reaching out to grab the

hammer from Ricky’s work jumpsuit.

“I’ll take that hammer” he declared, summoning an evidence bag and dropping it in.

“It belongs to the shop” Ricky argued, walking forward to take it back, only to be stopped by Jaehyun’s hand to his chest.

“Well, guess they’ll have to take it out of your pay then” he sneered.

“Hey, this isn’t fair. Look, I’m clean, I’m employed –” Ricky started.

“And you have a nasty habit of roughing up pretty women” Jaehyun snarled. Ricky eyed him up and down before he frowned.

“That was years ago” he argued.

“Old habits die hard, Ricky. You measure ‘em, you get to know ‘em…beat the crap out of ‘em” Jaehyun snarled. Ricky’s eyes widened before he crossed his arms.

“Call my PO. I haven't touched a piece of tape in years” he declared. Jaehyun smiled.

“You know something? I did just that before I came here. And he said you were half an hour late to your Monday check-in. He also said that next time you are tardy, you’re gonna spend a little time in the catacombs” he explained. Ricky was silent before he looked at Jaehyun.

“Monday night, right?” he asked. Jaehyun nodded.

“Mmhm” he agreed.

“This is about that creamy-complected little sweetie who got attacked. Yeah, I saw it in Women's Wear Daily” Ricky explained.

“Did you know her?” Jaehyun inquired. Ricky shrugged.

“Sure. Her K-mart underwear ads were primo monkey-spank fuel” he replied. Jaehyun made a face before he sighed.

“Great. Where were you Monday night?” he asked.

“Uh, we were watching football at the halfway house” Ricky replied. Jaehyun raised an eyebrow.

“Really? Who was playing?” he asked.

“Jets and Steelers” Ricky replied. Jaehyun clicked his tongue.

“Try again. Cowboys, 49ers” he corrected.

“Well, we must’ve been talking during the game” Ricky stated before he really gave Jaehyun a full once over.

“You know, you have great bone structure. I still know people in the business. I could make a couple of calls for –” he started, reaching out to touch Jaehyun’s cheek when he quickly reached up and grabbed his arm, twisting it so hard that he snapped it, sending him to the ground in pain. 

“Okay, Ricky, let's empty your pockets. And if we find a measuring tape, we'll take you in on parole violation” he snarled before he let go of Ricky’s arm and began to search his pockets. When he didn’t find anything, he huffed and touched Ricky’s arm, healing it before glaring at Ricky.

“Do yourself a favor: stay home and watch football” he snarled. He then turned and headed out of the auto shop, grateful that Taeyong wasn’t with him, because if Taeyong saw what Ricky tried to do to him, there wouldn’t be a Ricky Blaine anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	81. Case 12: Or Just Look Like One - Part 3

“In addition to spending the day among beautiful women, we came up with marginally useful information” Yuta stated as he sat down at his desk, Sicheng leaning against it.

“All right. Give it up” Jaehyun instructed as he and Taeyong stood around them.

“Your vic, Jazmin, was booted from a photo shoot around midnight for failing, get this, a weigh-in” Yuta declared. Taeyong frowned.

“A weigh-in?” he repeated. Sicheng huffed.

“Yeah, like at a prize fight” he grumbled.

“This photographer, Carlo, weighs the models in front of each other. If they don't make the grade, they don't work” Yuta continued.

“Jazmin was 5'7", weighed 110 pounds, so he kicked her out” Sicheng finished. Jaehyun blinked in shock.

“110 pounds is too heavy?” he exclaimed. Yuta shrugged.

“He told her to come back when she had lost eight pounds. She hung around for a while, making weepy phone calls, then she went to the photographer's private office” he explained. Taeyong frowned.

“Why?” he asked.

“Apparently arguing for her job. When they came out, she was crying and insulting his parentage so he told her to pack it in” Yuta answered. 

“Any drugs at this shoot?” Jaehyun asked. Sicheng shook his head.

“None of the girls remember seeing any” he replied.

“Which means they’re all using” Yuta declared. Taeyong huffed.

“Any girls close to Jazmin?” he asked. 

“They said that she left with a girlfriend named Veronica Wang, another model. Still looking for her” Sicheng replied. Jaehyun raised an eyebrow.

“Girlfriend, how?” he asked. 

“Not dating” Yuta replied. Taeyong hummed.

“You guys got an address on her?” he asked. Sicheng handed him a slip of paper.

“Right here” he stated.

~*~*~*~*~

After getting the address from Yuta and Sicheng, Taeyong and Jaehyun headed to the apartment complex and began walking down one of the halls, looking for Veronica’s apartment.

“You want to know what drugs she's taking and whether she's sexually active?” Jaehyun asked, glancing over at Taeyong.

“This girl's going to know because girlfriends have no secrets” Taeyong replied, just as they arrived at the door. As Taeyong raised his hand to knock, the door suddenly opened and Taeil and Doyoung stepped out.

“The hell are you two doing here?!” Jaehyun exclaimed. Taeil smirked.

“We heard there was good Dim Sum down here” he replied as Doyoung raised an eyebrow.

“What are you two doing here?” he asked. 

“Rape and assault. A model named Jazmin Burgess. We're here to interview the best friend” Taeyong answered. Taeil raised an eyebrow.

“Veronica Wang? You missed her” he stated, making Taeyong and Jaehyun look at him with confusion.

“She was pulled out of a dumpster this morning. We notified the mother” Doyoung added.

“Was she one of yours?” Jaehyun asked. Taeil shook his head.

“No, she’s like Quinn; not affiliated. But her mother is one of ours and she said she hasn’t heard from her daughter in a while, so we said we would go investigate” he explained. Taeyong nodded before he crossed his arms.

“Claw hammer? Early a.m.?” he asked. Both Doyoung and Taeil looked at him in surprise.

“Yeah, how’d you know?” Doyoung asked. 

“Our victim” Jaehyun explained. Taeil hummed.

“You catch a big break on the case?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. Taeyong huffed.

“Oh, yeah. Veronica. She was going to be our star witness” he explained.

~*~*~*~*~

The next morning, Taeil and Doyoung walked into the office, making Yuta, Sicheng, and Donghyuck (who hadn’t testified in court yet) look up in surprise.

“What are you doing here?” Yuta asked as he looked at the hyungnim and his partner.

“Helping us out” Taeyong called out as he walked out of his office, Jaehyun following him. Taeil smirked.

“We already did the work for you, Captain. We found your witness; the only trouble is, she was already dead” he stated. Jaehyun nodded.

“Same time, same weapon as our rape vic. They were best of friends” he explained. Doyoung crossed his arms.

“What have you got on her?” he asked. Taeyong sighed.

“PCR typing won't be in until next week. Rape kit came back positive for oral contact and huge amounts of Benzedrine were found in her system” he replied. 

“Bennie abusers are always paranoid, and they got a lot of time on their hands because they never sleep” Sicheng stated, looking over at the two hyungnim as Jaehyun walked over to the blackboard, where they had drawn up a timeline.

“So, Jazmin stays on set until sometime between 12:00 and 1:00, when she leaves with Veronica Wang. Next thing we know, it's 3:33 a.m. And she is dumped out of a car and found in front of the emergency room. And the best friend is found where?” he asked, looking back at Taeil and Doyoung.

“Two blocks from the hospital. Dump job” Taeil answered. 

“Did the “Measuring Man” know them?” Taeyong asked. Jaehyun shook his head.

“I checked; turns out he really was watching football. He just enjoys the halftime show a little better” he replied. Taeyong made a face before he huffed.

“What about the star stalker angle?” he asked. Donghyuck shook his head.

“I don't buy it. The second girl's not as famous. I still say it's an acquaintance” he argued. Jaehyun crossed his arms.

“Are we closer to putting a name on that acquaintance?” he asked.

“We've got call records from the vic's cell phone, trying to figure out where she was for two missing hours” Sicheng answered as Yuta stood up and walked over to the blackboard.

“At 12:20, she called her mother up in Zudren” he stated. Jaehyun huffed.

“Taeyong and I’ll talk to her” he stated. Yuta nodded.

“She just got into town” he added as Sicheng motioned to the board.

“Four times between 12:34 and 1:02 she called an apartment on the Upper East Side. It's owned by a Hampton Trill” he stated. Donghyuck let out a groan.

“Hampton Trill? He would be in the middle of all this” he grumbled, making the others look over at him and raise an eyebrow.

“You know him?” Jaehyun asked. Donghyuck shrugged.

“From his novels. Brat-packy little poseur was published when he was 19, thinks he's the "Emile Zola" of premillennial Andodale” he explained. Taeyong nodded.

“Alright then, why don’t you go talk to him?” he suggested before he looked at Sicheng and Yuta.

“You guys talk to the mom” he instructed. He then turned to Taeil and Doyoung, motioning to his office.

“Let’s talk” he suggested. Taeil and Doyoung nodded, following Taeyong into his office, Jaehyun following them as Donghyuck, Sicheng, and Yuta headed out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!
> 
> Also, I know this goes without saying, but if you ever find a fic of mine on another fanfiction website, please let me know so that I can take care of it or please contact the staff of that website and let them know that the story as been stolen because I never give anyone permission to repost my work anywhere and I only allow translations of my work.   
> Thank you!


	82. Case 12: Or Just Look Like One - Part 4

Yuta and Sicheng then headed to the intensive care unit in the hospital and found a woman sitting next to Jazmin’s bed.

“Mrs. Burgess?” Sicheng called out, making the woman quickly get out of her seat.

“I'm Sue Burgess. Theresa's mother” the woman, Sue Burgess, replied. Sicheng and Yuta nodded in greeting.

“Sergeant Nakamato, Police Detective First Grade Dong. How’s your daughter doing?” Yuta asked.

“All we can do is pray at this point” Mrs. Burgess replied.

“She called you the night this happened. What did you talk about?” Sicheng asked gently.

“Theresa was crying. This photographer, Parisi, said some really mean things to her. She said she wanted to get out of the business altogether. I said she could come home any time she wanted” Mrs. Burgess replied.

“When did you and Mr. Burgess separate?” Sicheng asked.

“Right before Thanksgiving of 1997. It all started when Theresa was 13 and she won $700 in some pageant contest. That’s when Tom decided Theresa was his ticket up” Mrs. Burgess spat.

“Mr. Burgess said her name was changed to Jazmin” Yuta started.

“Theresa is her Christian name. That Jazmin business was all Tom’s idea. Everything that happened to her is his fault” Mrs. Burgess snapped. Yuta raised an eyebrow.

“What do you mean by that?” she asked gently.

“He got custody of her. When he's taking her to these contests and not working in any actual job, I have to workdays at a glassware plant and nights at a Wal-Mart just to make ends meet. So, the courts say I'm unfit because I'm not home enough” Mrs. Burgess snapped, tears coming to her eyes. Yuta and Sicheng looked at one another before Yuta sighed.

“I’m sorry” he apologized. Mrs. Burgess shook her head.

“That broke up our home” she murmured before she looked over at Jazmin lying in the hospital bed.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, Donghyuck was in court testifying for the Rape Man case.

“Detective Lee, you testified that you found evidence to charge the father with rape, under the parental responsibility code, even though the assault was committed by his 13-year-old son” the defendant’s attorney stated. Donghyuck nodded.

“That is correct” he replied. 

“While the father, who had never met the victim, was at work” the defense attorney continued.

“Yes” Donghyuck agreed.

“So, how does that work? How does that work? That a man who never meets a victim, isn't there when the act is committed, and yet, somehow, is responsible?” the defense attorney asked. Donghyuck sighed.

“We found evidence that the son was being raised in an atmosphere that condoned rape” he answered. The defense attorney raised her eyebrow.

“Oh, so you did. You searched his house. Did you find Playboy? Penthouse? Hustler magazine? X- rated video tapes?” she asked. Donghyuck shook his head.

“No, we did not” he replied. 

“So, what you really found, were some comic books” the defense attorney stated. Donghyuck narrowed his eyes at her before he nodded.

“Yes, but—” he started.

“You. Found. Comic books” the defense attorney interrupted, raising her voice slightly before she smirked.

“No further questions” she stated as she walked back to her bench. Mark, who was working the prosecution that day, quickly stood to his feet.

“Re-direct, Your Honor” he asked. The judge nodded and Mark grabbed a comic book off of his desk before walking over to Donghyuck.

“Do you recognize this comic book?” he asked, holding it up for Donghyuck to see. Donghyuck nodded.

“Yes. It's called Rape Man. It was seized from the defendant's home” he answered. Mark raised an eyebrow.

“Rape Man? And what kind of stories are you likely to read in this Rape Man?” he asked as he began to flip through the comic book, not really looking at the words or pictures in it.

“It's about the adventures of a high-school boy who by night is a masked superhero. He settles scores with women by raping them” Donghyuck explained. Mark frowned and held up the open comic book.

“But it's in Japanese” he stated.

“One of our detectives is Japanese and he translated the comic for us. It’s also very clear from the imagery what's going on. The stories all end with pictures of women being beaten and raped by the “hero”” Donghyuck explained. Mark nodded slowly.

“And from these stories, you thought it was proper to charge the father with accessory to rape? These comic books?” he asked, glaring over at the defense and defense attorney. Donghyuck nodded, a small smirk on his face.

“Yes sir” he replied.

~*~*~*~*~

After testifying in court, Donghyuck headed over to Hampton Trill’s apartment to speak with the man.

“Excuse the mess. I wasn’t expecting company” Trill stated as he led Donghyuck onto the large balcony of his apartment.

“It's what I'd expect” Donghyuck grumbled before he cleared his throat.

“Did you know Jazmin Burgess?” he asked as Trill sat down on a reclining beach chair.

“Sure. We had lunch a few times” Trill replied.

“She called here four times the night she was attacked. Did you talk to her?” Donghyuck asked. Trill shook his head.

“Nah, I didn't answer the phone. There were, like, 200 people at this party” he explained. Donghyuck raised an eyebrow.

“What kind of party?” he asked.

“You know. The one where the literati and glitterati size each other up over cosmopolitans and sashimi. It was for my new novel” Trill explained. Donghyuck nodded.

“Oh, Benetton Requiem? I read the review in The Times” he murmured before he crossed his arms.

“Did Jazmin show up?” he asked. Trill nodded.

“Uh, yeah. Yeah. Pretty late. She was kind of a mess. I was more of a mess. She didn't stay very long. Look, I never read reviews but that Cacatuny had it in for me since she decided one of my characters was based on her” he explained. 

“Who, the book reviewer from Asmaye Siesta? There’s no resemblance” Donghyuck argued.

“It's, er, Asmaye Sonata” Trill corrected. Donghyuck rolled his eyes.

“Siesta as in “snooze fest”. The real question is how reviewers don’t notice your blatant theft of Joan Didion” he snapped. 

“Joan Didion is a close friend” Trill stated with a smile. Donghyuck sighed and shook his head.

“The poor woman” he murmured, just as two pretty young women came out of Hampton’s apartment, giggling. He then glanced at them before he looked back at Trill.

“So, er, maybe Jazmin comes to your party to score some crank. Is that a possibility? he asked. Trill shrugged.

“It’s very possible. I met her last spring in the elevator. She had an appointment. First floor two floors are doctors and shrinks” he explained.

“Did you invite any of these doctors to the party?” Donghyuck asked.

“They just show up. If you have girls, you don't have to invite anybody else. Sex appeal's the best draw” Trill explained. Donghyuck hummed before he handed Trill his card.

“Yeah, well, give me a call if you think of anything else” he instructed before he turned away. Trill then sat up in his seat.

“Uh, “no resemblance” because I failed to capture her or “no resemblance” because it was a different character?” he asked. Donghyuck smirked and looked back at him.

“Both” he replied before he turned back and continued to walk away. Trill watched him leave with a shake of his head.

“Both” he grumbled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	83. Case 12: Or Just Look Like One - Part 5

After Yuta and Sicheng spoke to the mother, they headed back to the precinct and Taeil and Doyoung decided that they were going to go speak to Carlo this time. When they arrived at the photoshoot, Carlo’s assistant looked up and quickly closed her book, looking at them with raised eyebrows.

“Can I help you?” she asked.

“Moon Taeil and Kim Doyoung. We’d like to speak to Carlo, if that’s alright” Taeil stated. The woman frowned.

“What for?” she asked. Doyoung sighed.

“We’d like to talk to him about Veronica Wang” he stated. The woman frowned.

“Why? What happened to Veronica?” she asked.

“Someone killed her” Taeil deadpanned. The woman looked at them in shock.

“Oh my god” she whispered before she quickly walked over to Carlo and tapped him on the arm.

“Carlo” she murmured.

“What?” Carlo snapped. The young woman motioned to Taeil and Doyoung standing there, making Carlo turn and groan.

“Christ” he swore before he handed off his camera to one of the crew members and walked over to the two men.

“What can I do for you?” he asked.

“Veronica Wang was killed, Carlo” Doyoung replied seriously. Carlo groaned again.

“Oh, bollocks. Not her, as well” he murmured.

“Yeah, and I heard that you were right brained at the time but we found out that Jazmin left because she failed your weigh-in. Do you know why Wang went with her?” Taeil asked. 

“Jazmin was mad at me. Wang was her friend. They left. I didn't pay much attention” Carlo replied.

“The girls were going to score” the young woman added.

“Shut up” Carlo snapped. The young woman scoffed.

“Oh come on. Why else go to Trill's party?” she snapped back.

“That's a little detail you failed to mention to us, Carlo” Doyoung growled.

“I didn't want to hurt Jazmin's family. I mean, you'll keep them from knowing that, surely?” he asked. Taeil and Doyoung smirked.

“We'll be very discreet” Taeil assured before he thanked Carlo and his assistant for their time. 

~*~*~*~*~

They then headed back to the precinct and walked over to Donghyuck’s desk, where he was showing Yuta, Sicheng, Taeyong, and Jaehyun some photos that they pulled from a security camera.

“Here's our vic at 1:22am on her way to Mr. Trendoid's party” Donghyuck stated, sneering Trill’s name. Yuta raised an eyebrow.

“She get the pills from him?” he asked.

“Maybe. Probably. The first two floors are all doctors so one of them might be hers. We’ve got a list” Donghyuck replied, handing a sheet of paper over to Taeyong, who looked it over before handing it to Jaehyun.

“That’s how she met Trill; they had prescription bennies” Donghyuck added. Taeyong hummed before he gently tapped Jaehyun on the arm.

“Let's find out who's writing these prescriptions” he instructed. Jaehyun nodded and quickly folded up the list and stuck it in his trench coat pocket before he and Taeyong took off to go talk to the doctors in Trill’s building.

~*~*~*~*~

Taeyong and Jaehyun then headed to the professional licensing service and asked who prescribed all of the pills to Carlo’s models.

“Phen-fen, Phen-fen, Dex, Prozac, Meridia, Phen-fen…yeah, Dr. Deke O'Connor. DBA Manhattan Nutrition Centre. I’d say this is your guy. He's written thousands of prescriptions for just about every diet drug” the man at the computer explained.

“Any prescriptions to a Veronica Wang or a Theresa Burgess?” Jaehyun asked. The man frowned before he looked at Jaehyun.

“Can you give me a minute?” he asked. Jaehyun nodded while Taeyong pulled out his phone.

“Sicheng. Need you to run a name check” he stated, putting the call on speaker.

_“Who am I looking for?”_ Sicheng asked.

“A Dr. O'Connor. First name Deke. D-E-K-E” Taeyong replied. 

_“Where does he live or work?”_ Sicheng inquired.

“450 Hudson Place” Taeyong answered, just as the man at the computer cleared his throat.

“Yes, on both scores. I got a Wang V and a Burgess T” he declared, making Jaehyun look over at him.

“They wouldn't happen to be narcoleptics?” he continued. Jaehyun shook his head.

“No, they’re not” he replied. The man at the computer huffed.

“Well, Dr. O’Conner has been giving speed like it’s candy on Halloween” he huffed.

_“I think I got something on your man”_ Sicheng called out, making Jaehyun look over at his husband.

“What have you got?” Taeyong asked.

_“This same doctor was charged, not convicted, in '91 on an assault rap. Beat the guy so badly he sent him to hospital. And he's got a DUl from '94”_ Sicheng stated. Taeyong hummed.

“Thanks Sicheng. We’ll be sure to pay him a visit” he declared before he hung up and looked at Jaehyun.

“Let’s go talk to the man, shall we?” he asked.

~*~*~*~*~

Jaehyun and Taeyong then headed to the Asmaye Downtown Hospital and asked to see Dr. O’Conner. The nurse nodded and motioned for them to follow her up to the rooftop of the hospital and opened the door, pointing to a doctor.

“He’s right over there” she stated. Taeyong and Jaehyun thanked her before they walked over to the doctor.

“Dr. O'Connor, I'd like to ask you a few questions” Jaehyun called out as he pulled out his badge. The doctor turned and looked at him before frowning.

“I'm Dr. Sullivan” he stated before he turned the man in the wheelchair around to face them.

“This is Dr. O'Connor. He was thrown from his motorcycle in 1997. He's one of our patients” he explained. Jaehyun and Taeyong looked at the man in the wheelchair before Taeyong huffed.

“Guess we can rule him out for the assault charge” he murmured before he thanked Dr. Sullivan for his time and motioned for Jaehyun to follow him back to the door that led off the roof.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	84. Case 12: Or Just Look Like One - Part 6

When Taeyong and Jaehyun returned to the precinct, Taeyong decided to go talk to forensic psychiatrist, Dr. Osaki Shotaro, about the case.

“Hey, Taro, got a second?” he asked when he poked his head into Shotaro’s office. Shotaro looked up from his files and nodded.

“Sure hyung. Though I don’t know what more I can add; I think you’re on a right tracks as far as psychological profiles concern” he replied, holding up the files from the case.

“You see that business about the amphetamines, the starvation…these girls are ruining their lives” Taeyong grumbled as he walked into his office and sat down in front of his desk. Shotaro huffed.

“Yeah. Money, power, respect…supermodels are the Greek goddesses of our time if you want to believe Camille Podlie” he teased. Taeyong rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“You know, I don’t. I think it’s just a bunch of crap. They’re giving up their childhoods” he grumbled. Shotaro shrugged.

“Well, both these girls came from poor backgrounds, broken families. A lot of displacement, a lot of turmoil” he explained. Taeyong hummed. 

“I guess” he replied before he smiled and stood up.

“Thanks Taro” he thanked, turning on his heels and heading out. Shotaro hummed and nodded.

“You’re welcome” he replied.

~*~*~*~*~

The next day, Donghyuck and Yuta went to Postal Medic to talk to the owner of the company.

“We are currently at 6,000 prescriptions a day. We’re gonna take the whole thing public. Hello, IPO” the owner explained as he led them through the company.

“Whatever happened to the neighborhood pharmacist?” Yuta asked, raising an eyebrow. The owner looked at him with wide eyes.

“No, no, no! We're computerized now. See? Faster service, lower prices, fewer errors” he explained. Donghyuck scoffed.

“It depends how you define error” he murmured. The owner looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

“Hm?” he asked.

“You do a lot of business with Dr. Deke O'Connor” Donghyuck stated. The owner nodded.

“Yeah. Is that a problem?” he asked. 

“If by problem you mean he gets meals intravenously and dumps in a diaper, yes. That's something a corner pharmacist may question” Donghyuck snapped. The owner was silent before he sighed.

“Just tell me what you want” he murmured.

“O'Connor's patient list” Yuta declared. The owner sighed again before he walked over to an empty cubical and pulled out the list.

“There. And do we really need the attitude?” he asked as he handed Donghyuck and Yuta the list. Yuta gave him a look while Donghyuck looked over the list.

“Dozens of names, and yet the pills were mailed to the same address. This didn't strike you as odd?” Donghyuck asked, looking up at the man and holding up the list. The owner shrugged.

“Well, yeah, I guess we need to upgrade our software” he replied with a slight smile. Donghyuck gave him a look this time.

“Yeah” he replied sarcastically.

~*~*~*~*~

When Donghyuck and Yuta returned to APD, Taeyong called them into his office.

“What’s up Taeyong?” Yuta asked as he and Donghyuck leaned against their boss’s door frame.

“Narcotics called twice and said you crash-landed in a controlled substance investigation they've been cooking on since July” Taeyong replied. Yuta groaned.

“This is still a sexual assault case; we’re only going after the pills to get to the attacker” he explained. Jaehyun leaned on Taeyong’s desk and crossed his arms.

“You know the rules, Yuta: you got pills, you tell Narcotics” he scolded. Donghyuck shook his head.

“But hyung, Narco scouts always want crappy possession busts. We can't do that. Zero tolerance shuts witnesses right up” he exclaimed. Jaehyun shook his head this time.

“I'm not saying I disagree—” he started.

“We know all the bogus prescriptions are going to the same place. We’ve got Taeil and Doyoung there right now. All we’re asking for is a little bit of time” Yuta interrupted. Taeyong frowned.

“How does Taeil and Doyoung know?” he asked.

“Gave them a call after we left Postal Medic” Donghyuck answered. Taeyong nodded before he sighed.

“I might be able to buy a couple of days. Narcotics love strategy meetings. I'll schedule one with them an uh, keep postponing it” he replied with a devious smile as he picked up the phone and dialed Narcotic’s number.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, at Privacy First Mail Services, Doyoung crossed his arms as he looked at the clerk.

“We need to see who rents box 732” he ordered. The clerk was quiet before he hummed.

“732?” he repeated.

“Yeah” Doyoung agreed. The clerk quickly went through the list before he came upon the renter.

“That'll be Bertrand Small. 620 West Fourteenth” he replied. Taeil frowned.

“Which would put him in the Hudson River” he replied. 

“Who picks up his mail?” Doyoung inquired. The clerk shook his head.

“Not a clue. We've got 1,200 boxes. You get a key; it's got a box number on it. As long as the key matches, account's paid up, you get your mail” he replied. Doyoung and Taeil looked at one another before Doyoung stared at the man, eyes flashing blue.

“We're going to station an officer here till Mr. 732 shows up” he threatened. The clerk looked at him with wide eyes before he sighed. He knew there was no use in lying to them, especially because they were hyungnim.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	85. Case 12: Or Just Look Like One - Part 7

After a while, the cops finally caught “Mr. 732” and brought him down to the precinct, where they handed him off to Sicheng and Yuta, who were waiting in the interrogation room.

“Mr. 732” one of the cops stated as he handed him over to Yuta.

“Thanks a lot” Yuta replied as Sicheng looked at the man.

“Close the door please” he instructed. The cop nodded and shut the door as Yuta dragged the man over to the chair and sat him down. He then picked up a plastic baggie full of pills.

“What’s that?” he asked. When the man didn’t respond, Yuta shook the baggie in his face.

“What is that?” he demanded. The man shook his head as he looked back at Sicheng.

“I didn't know that was in the envelope. It was just a job” he explained. Sicheng nodded.

“Good, keep talking, keep talking. The more you lie about the pills, the easier it will be to make you on a murder charge” he snarled. The man in the chair looked at him with wide eyes before he turned to Yuta.

“I'm a courier. I get 100 bucks a week. I-I-I didn't kill anybody” he assured. Yuta held up the bag of pills.

“Who set this up?” he asked.

“My buddy used to do this run. Then he landed the lead as Stonewall Jackson in this outdoor Civil War drama” the man started to ramble when Yuta slammed his hand down, getting the man’s attention.

“What do you do with the package once you pick it up?” he demanded.

“I repackage it. The return address says Morgan Talent Management and I deliver it to 7th and 36th” the man answered. Yuta then looked up at Sicheng.

“Isn’t that Lazlo’s building” he stated. Sicheng nodded.

“Yep” he replied as he and Yuta walked out of the interrogation room and headed over to Taeyong office, where Taeyong and Jaehyun were looking over reports.

“So, we think it’s time to bring in Narcotics” Sicheng stated. Taeyong and Jaehyun looked up from their reports and frowned at them.

“Wasn’t it just this morning that you said that they were boy scouts who might intimidate the witnesses?” Taeyong asked, raising an eyebrow. Sicheng sighed.

“That was before we uncovered Lazlo’s little sideline business” he replied, walking into their office and holding up the bag of pills.

“We’re now thinking that intimidation is in order” Yuta added. Taeyong and Jaehyun were silent before Jaehyun hummed.

“Intimidation. I see” he murmured before he looked into Sicheng’s eyes.

“Make a few calls. I’m sure you know someone in Narcotics” he instructed. Sicheng and Yuta nodded before they headed out to the bullpen and walked over to Sicheng’s desk, where Sicheng reached out and picked up the landline.

“You used to work in Narcotics?” Donghyuck asked, looking up from his desk at them. Sicheng looked over at him and smirked.

“Used to work there before working here” he replied as he pressed a few buttons on his landline and placed the receiver to his ear.

“Who are you calling?” Yuta inquired. Sicheng looked over at him and smirked.

“You’ll see” he replied.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, a man by the name of Seo Changbin walked into Lazlo’s building, a team of men behind him as he walked into the center of the room and cleared his throat.

**“Listen up. Stay right where you are and keep your hands where we can see them”** he ordered, voice booming throughout the entire room.

“What the hell are you doing?” Nina demanded as she rushed down from her office and over to Changbin.

 **“Cuff her”** Changbin ordered. One of his men nodded and stepped forward, cuffing Nina’s hands behind her back.

“Hey, wait, you can't do this!” Nina exclaimed. Sicheng smirked.

“In case you haven’t noticed, we just did” he stated. 

“Zoe, call Latham and Watkins now!” Nina barked as Yuta stepped forward and glared at her.

“Mrs. Lazlo, I don’t think you’re going to want to ride in the wagon with your employees” he snarled.

“How you people transport me is hardly my concern” Nina snapped as Sicheng began to lead her away.

“Okay, a little clarification is in order. The press is waiting for you out front. I’m sure they would love a photo of Lazlo Nina, drug dealer to the stars. What do you say?” he asked. 

“So, if you’re ready to talk about Jazmin now, we can take you out the backway in our car. It’s up to you” Yuta stated, placing his hands on his hips. 

“Fine” Nina growled. Yuta nodded.

“Good” he replied as he took Nina from Sicheng’s grasp and began to lead her away to a more private part of the room to talk.

~*~*~*~*~

“You're at the top of your game, got all the best talent, you make a lot of money. And still you feel the need to mess around with this drug crap” Donghyuck stated as he crossed his arms before Nina.

“It’s not for profit, obviously” Nina replied sarcastically.

“So, it’s a charity you’re running?” Mark asked, raising an eyebrow. Donghyuck had called him down to the precinct to get him out of his office and because he wanted to spend some time with him. Not the ideal way that Mark would have wanted to spend time with him, but time with Donghyuck was better than no time with Donghyuck.

“Speed keeps the girls in fighting trim. To them, it’s like vitamins” Nina replied, also crossing her arms.

“You know something, you are so damn cavalere” Donghyuck snarled. Nina huffed.

“You raise a stink, you lose them to another agency” she snapped.

“Oh, is that why Veronica and Jazmin were attacked. Because they raised a fuss?” Mark sneered. He had read the case file before he came down to help Donghyuck with the interrogation.

“No” Nina exclaimed before she took a deep breath and sighed.

“Carlo Parisi had a…private polaroid collection. Of himself with models” she explained. Mark and Donghyuck looked at one another before Donghyuck looked back at Nina.

“Doing what?” he asked.

“Do I have to spell it out for you?” Nina replied, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes, Nina, you do” Donghyuck growled. Nina sighed.

“Jazmin said he made her…Lewinsky him. For his collection. Then he refused to use him on the shoot and she got pretty pissed off” she explained. Mark placed his hands on his hips.

“You see these masterpieces?” he asked. 

“No. Jazmin told me she stole them. She stole all of them. She said she was going to use them to make sure that he never worked again” Nina replied.

“Well, do you know what she did with them?” Donghyuck inquired.

“The next thing I heard, she was in the emergency room” Nina replied softly. Mark and Donghyuck nodded before they thanked her and exited the room. As they left and walked into the bullpen, Taeil and Doyoung came back, placing a hammer in an evidence bag down on one of the desks.

“You are looking at the fruits of four hours of dumpster diving along 59th Street. Nine dumpster in all” Taeil declared. Mark walked over to the desk and picked up the bag, studying it.

“Are you trying to tell me that the two of you went dumpster diving?” Donghyuck asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Hell no. We supervised a couple of our men. I don’t do disposable diapers” Doyoung replied, shuddering at the thought. 

“How was your morning?” Taeil asked.

“We’re getting ready to go pick up Parisi, the photographer, and see if we can find his collection of dirty pictures” Donghyuck replied. Just then, Taeyong walked out of his office.

“Oh, Mark. Nice to see you” he greeted. Mark nodded.

“Nice to see you too, Captain” he replied. Taeyong then walked over to Taeil and clapped him on the shoulder.

“Ready to go?” he asked. Donghyuck raised an eyebrow.

“Where are you going?” he asked. Jaehyun smiled.

“We’re taking Taeil and Doyoung out to lunch” he explained. Donghyuck nodded.

“I see” he replied. Taeyong then looked at him.

“Take Yuta and Sicheng with you. I want that place searched from top to bottom, I want those pictures found” he growled. Donghyuck nodded.

“Yes sir” he replied, Mark nodding in agreement. Taeyong and Jaehyun nodded before they turned, Taeil and Doyoung following after them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	86. Case 12: Or Just Look Like One - CASE CLOSED

At Parisi Studios, Donghyuck, Yuta, Mark, and Sicheng walked inside and over to Carlo, who quickly stood up from his desk, glaring at them.

“Hey! I didn't invite you in!” he exclaimed. Sicheng held up the warrant.

“Here's our invitation, Mr. Parisi” he stated calmly while Yuta turned to Donghyuck.

“Why don’t you start searching for the kiddy porn, we’re going to ask Mr. Parisi a few questions” he stated.

“Why don't you ask who dresses him?” Donghyuck sneered before he headed over to Carlo’s desk. 

“We know about your Polaroids, Carlo. We also know how badly you wanted them back after they were stolen” Mark stated.

“I have thousands of Polaroids. I'm a photographer” Carlo exclaimed.

“Yeah, and Larry Flint’s a publisher” Donghyuck called out from where he was searching through Carlo’s desk and file cabinets.

“Hey, you can’t do that!” Carlo shouted as he walked over to Donghyuck and reached out to snatch the polaroid’s that were in a sheet protector.

“Uh, uh, uh” Donghyuck stated as he held the photos away from him as Sicheng calmly walked over and grabbed Carlo by the arm, yanking him away.

“Come here. Stand over here for a second. Come on” he ordered, dragging Carlo over to the windows that overlooked Asmaye so that Donghyuck could continue searching. Mark followed after Sicheng while Yuta walked over to Donghyuck to help aid him in his search.

“Let's try this out. Jazmin steals your dirty picture collection Monday. This is bad, I understand that. It’s gonna ruin your career, definitely gonna land you in jail, so you find out where she goes. You talk with her. She's not going to give the photos back. Things get carried away…” Sicheng started.

“Alright. Go on. You got your search warrant. But if you find something like that, I’d love to see it” Carlo interrupted. Mark narrowed his eyes.

“I bet you would” he growled.

“I didn't murder anyone” Carlo argued. Mark raised an eyebrow.

“Oh yeah? Well how about statutory rape then? You made Jazmin sit for her oral exams” he snarled. Carlo scoffed.

“That’s ridiculous” he exclaimed. Sicheng smirked.

“Well then the blood sample you give us will clear you” he stated. Carlo blinked in surprise.

“Blood sample?” he repeated. Mark nodded.

“There's a semen stain on Jazmin's dress. That wasn't yours?” he asked. 

“That was a consensual act” Carlo snarled. Sicheng shook his head.

“No, no, no. You used your power to hire and fire, to exact sexual favors and pornographic photos from a minor. Not consensual” he spat, eyes glowing pink. Mark then glared at Carlo.

“So, Mr. Parisi, would you mind turning around, please?” he snarled. Carlo nodded and turned around as Mark looked over at Donghyuck.

“Hyuck” he called out. Donghyuck didn’t even look up, he just reached behind and pulled out his handcuffs out of his waistband, tossing them over to Mark, who caught them and quickly cuffed Carlo before facing Yuta and Donghyuck.

“Yuta, take Carlo down to the unit” he ordered. Yuta looked up and nodded, Yuta walking over to Carlo and grabbing him by the arm.

“Let’s go, handsome” he sneered as he led Carlo. Sicheng and Mark then walked over to Donghyuck, who was still searching for the photographs.

“Anything?” Sicheng asked. Donghyuck looked up at him and shook his head.

“Sorry, no. But I did find this check, which I think you should take a look at” he replied, handing him the check. Sicheng took the check and scanned it before his eyes widened.

“$41,000 for a party? That should be a crime” he exclaimed. Donghyuck shook his head.

“No, no. Down in the corner. It’s Deborah Latrell's signature” he explained. Sicheng frowned.

“And who is that?” he asked. 

“Carlo Parisi’s assistant” Donghyuck replied.

“So his assistant does the bookkeeping” Mark mused.

“And look here, this is their business license. Both of their names are on it” Donghyuck continued, holding up the license to show her uncles.

“Okay, weird. Not kiddy-porn” Sicheng stated as Mark walked over to the file cabinet and began searching.

“Okay, so where does he hide his dirty pictures?” Donghyuck asked as he stood to his feet and motioned to the desk.

“You got three choices: under the bed, in back of the closet, or amongst boring and unappealing pictures” Mark answered. 

“And where do you think it’ll be?” Donghyuck asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I don’t know yet” Mark replied as he continued to search the file cabinets second drawer before he found something plastered to the back of the drawer. He then gave it a tug, feeling something give way.

“Aha!” he exclaimed, making Sicheng and Donghyuck look over at him.

“Got something?” Sicheng asked.

“Yup” Mark replied, handing Sicheng a binder. He then handed Donghyuck some binders as Sicheng opened up the one he was given.

“Hey, hey, hey” he called out, making Donghyuck and Mark look over his shoulder to see what he was looking at.

“Look at that. Deborah Latrell was a knockout” he declared as he turned the page, only to have Donghyuck place a hand on his arm as he pointed to a photo.

“That's an engagement ring” he declared. Mark nodded as he turned the page and pointed to another photo.

“That's an engagement party” he added. Sicheng frowned.

“Why would you hide something like that?” he asked. Mark and Donghyuck were silent before it dawned on Donghyuck.

“Because he stood her up” he breathed. Mark frowned before it hit him as well.

“But she still co-owns the business” he stated. Donghyuck nodded.

“So what do you do if you’re Jazmin and you want to hit Carlo where it hurts?” he asked. Sicheng smiled darkly.

“You show the Polaroids to the person who was his ex-fiancée and is now his business partner” he declared. Donghyuck nodded.

“Exactly” he replied. Mark then pulled out his phone and dialed a number before placing it to his ear.

“Taeyong? Yes, this is Mark. Send Yuta to pick up Deborah Latrell. You need to question her” he declared.

~*~*~*~*~

After Taeyong sent Yuta to pick up Deborah, he brought her back to the interrogation room, where Taeil, Doyoung, Taeyong and Jaehyun were waiting for her.

“Deborah, we have some problems with what you told us about Monday night” Taeyong stated as Taeil picked up a file and opened it.

“You said _“_ _Jazmin Burgess and Veronica Wang_ _were at the book release party”_ ” he stated. Deborah frowned.

“What’s your problem with that?” she asked.

“Our problem is, how did you know?” Jaehyun replied. 

“I guess they mentioned it” Deborah stated with a shrug. Doyoung crossed his arms.

“Or you were there. You went there looking for them. Trying to get Carlo's Polaroid collection back” he deadpanned.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about” Deborah replied lazily. Taeyong scoffed.

“Sure you do. The girls have a blackmail file on Carlo, they won’t play ball. You call Carlo, he comes, things get out of hand” he stated. Taeil then placed his hands on his hips.

“Deborah, why don’t you talk with us while we can still help you” he suggested.

“I've enjoyed about as much of your help as I can take” Deborah replied. Taeil, Doyoung, Taeyong, and Jaehyun looked at one another before they all turned and left the room.

~*~*~*~*~

“Let’s see if she has the courage of her convictions” Jaehyun grumbled as the four men walked over to Yuta, Sicheng, and Donghyuck. Mark wasn’t there because he had to go back to work.

“You guys get anything off Carlo?” Taeyong asked.

“Lies, half-truths, and a cute story about Cindy Crawford in labor. You get anything from Deborah?” Yuta replied. Taeil and Doyoung shook their heads while an idea popped into Jaehyun’s head.

“Haechan, could you do us a favor?” he asked. Donghyuck looked over at him and nodded.

“Sure” he replied. Jaehyun then snapped a chair next to Sicheng’s desk and pointed to it.

“Get Carlo to sit in this chair. And then suggest that Deborah rolled on him” he explained. Donghyuck smirked.

“Ah, cute. The prisoner’s dilemma. Nice one” he praised. Jaehyun smiled and inclined his head towards him while Doyoung frowned.

“I’m sorry, what is that?” he asked. Sicheng looked over at him and smiled.

“See we get each to think that the other confessed” he explained. Doyoung smiled darkly.

“Ah, I see” he murmured as Yuta stood up.

“I’ll get Carlo” he stated before he headed towards the interrogation room that they were holding Carlo in. Jaehyun and Taeyong nodded before they turned and headed back to Deborah’s interrogation room.

“Okay, we're pretty much done here. All we have to do is fingerprint and book you” Taeyong stated as he walked over to Deborah.

“What?” Deborah asked, confusion on her face as Taeyong took her by the arm and helped her to her feet.

“Please stand” he instructed.

“Why? What happened?” Deborah demanded.

“We have another witness” Jaehyun replied with a shrug. Taeyong then led Deborah out of the room and into the bullpen, where Carlo was sitting beside Donghyuck’s desk, Yuta, Sicheng, and Donghyuck around him.

“There’s your buddy” Donghyuck stated, pointing to Deborah, who was behind him. Carlo turned, just as Deborah came charging towards him.

“Bastard!” she shrieked. Donghyuck quickly stood up to block Carlo from getting hit and instead took the brunt of the slap that was meant for him, sending him to the floor.

“Haechan!” Taeyong and Jaehyun shouted at the same time; both men rushing over and grabbing Deborah by the arms, dragging her away as Yuta and Sicheng held Carlo back.

“Couldn't keep your mouth shut, could you!” Carlo shouted.

“Oh yeah, and you couldn’t keep your pants zipped!” Deborah screamed as Taeyong and Jaehyun led her to another interrogation room. Once she was safely inside, the officers shut the door, leaving Deborah with a fuming Taeyong and Jaehyun, because nobody hit one of their detectives in front of them and lived to tell the tale. 

~*~*~*~*~

Outside of the interrogation room, Doyoung and Taeil rushed over to Donghyuck, checking him pulse and brushing his hair out of his face while Yuta and Sicheng stood over them, looking down at Donghyuck with worried eyes. Carlo had been placed in a holding cell after the screaming match with his ex-fiancée. 

“Haechan?” Yuta called out softly. Donghyuck let out a groan and opened his eyes to see Yuta, Sicheng, Doyoung, and Taeil looking down at him with worry in their eyes.

“Are you okay?” Doyoung asked. Donghyuck nodded and slowly began to push himself into a sitting position, Taeil and Doyoung assisting him as he sat up. 

“Damn, she hits hard” he hissed. Taeil, Doyoung, Sicheng and Yuta let out relieved chuckles before Taeil looked over the interrogation room.

“I feel rather bad for Deborah…she really shouldn’t have hit you” he murmured. Donghyuck huffed as he took his and Doyoung’s arms and hauled himself to his feet.

“Well, she did. And now she’s going to suffer the consequences for it” he stated with an evil gleam in his eye.

~*~*~*~*~

Back in the interrogation room, Jaehyun and Taeyong were still glaring at Deborah as she stood before them.

“Deborah. We have his side of the story. We want to hear yours” Jaehyun grounded out, eyes glowing white in rage.

“You know he was before I met him? Carl Parsley! He photographed stereos for electronic store ads” Deborah spat.

“Sit down” Jaehyun ordered. Deborah sat down with a huff.

“And I feel for him. I was big then, too. Cosmo, Glamour, Elle. I'd say, _“You want me, you gotta hire Carlo”_ ” she explained. Jaehyun crossed his arms, eyes still glowing white.

“So you really gave him his start” he mused.

“Yes. Beauty is power. Until you lose it, then you’re garbage. Nobody gives a damn about you” Deborah growled before she looked into Jaehyun’s eyes.

“See, you wouldn’t understand because you’re still handsome and your detectives? They’re also extremely handsome. You have no idea what kind of doors that opens up until they're slammed in your face” she spat as she ripped off the sunglasses that she always wore to reveal a cloudy right eye with stiches around it. Jaehyun nodded slowly.

“The Measuring Man” he stated. Deborah nodded. 

“Yeah. But what happened afterwards was worse. See, people stop calling you. Friends shun you. Nobody calls. But I still had Carlo. At least I thought I did” she murmured as there was a knock on the door and Taeyong opened it to take something from one of the police officers outside.

“So Jazmin and Veronica found you where? At Trill’s party?” Jaehyun asked, eyes no longer glowing.

“Yes” Deborah answered.

“And they had the photos with them?” Jaehyun inquired.

“She said she had them nearby but I don’t believe her because I don’t believe Carlo would do that kind of thing” Deborah answered. Jaehyun hummed.

“But you're curious enough to look, so you what? You meet them in your car? And then they show you the photos?” he asked softly. Deborah nodded.

“They’re far worse than I feared. There's a lot of girls. A lot of girls. Beautiful women. Women that I've known for years. Women that I trusted” she growled. Jaehyun nodded in understanding.

“Betraying you with your fiancé” he stated. Deborah nodded before she looked at Taeyong.

“I don’t remember what happened after that” she stated. Taeyong was silent before he pushed off the wall where he was standing and took out the evidence bag with the hammer in it and placed it on the table.

“This is your chance to tell us, Deborah” he stated softly, dangerously. Deborah was silent, glaring at Taeyong who just glared right back; she hit one of his detectives and he no longer played nice when his team was involved.

“She fails one weigh-in and that little bitch takes away the last shred of dignity that I have. I was livid. I was cranked up on speed. I reached below the seat just to take a hold of it. For security, that’s why I carry it. Hammer makes this awful cracking sound when it hits Jazmin's teeth. And then there's like this dead silence. And then the other girl just started screaming. And I swung at her to shut up. And then she just starts convulsing like this…like this epileptic” Deborah explained, tears starting to come into her voice. Of course, Taeyong and Jaehyun could give a damn about how she was feeling because she. hit. Donghyuck. And Donghyuck was much more important than the woman sitting before them.

“Jazmin was sexually abused” Jaehyun growled. Deborah shook her head.

“Yeah, that was later, that was Carlo’s idea” she explained. Taeyong raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, so you brought Carlo into this?” he asked. Deborah nodded.

“Yeah. Because Carlo's very level-headed. Carlo always knows what to do. And the hammer? Carlo’s the one who said it should look like rape. It was horrible” she whimpered before she began to cry. Taeyong and Jaehyun looked at one another, not even feeling bad for her in the slightest, but they still listened as she continued to testify.

“We dropped her off at the hospital. That dead girl, he did something with her. I don't know; I stayed in the car” Deborah whimpered. Jaehyun crossed his arms.

“Deborah, why did you call him? After the photos, after the betrayal?” he demanded. Deborah looked up at him, eyes teary, and shook her head.

“Don't you get it? Don't you _get_ it? He was all I had!” she exclaimed, crying a little more before she took a deep breath and controlled herself, placing her glasses back on her face.

“But you can never turn back the clock, can you?” she asked, her voice calm yet dead. Jaehyun and Taeyong looked at one another before Taeyong opened the door and called in one of the officers to take Deborah away. As Deborah was being led away and Jaehyun and Taeyong walked out of the interrogation room, Taeyong looked over at Yuta and Sicheng, who were heading home for the night.

“Yuta, any word on Jazmin?” he asked. Yuta and Sicheng looked over at them, their eyes sad.

“Yeah, Sungchan just called. She didn’t make it” he replied before they continued walking out. Taeyong and Jaehyun looked at one another before they sighed and headed back to their office, stopping by Donghyuck’s desk when they saw him sitting in his chair, working.

“Haechan. How are you?” Taeyong asked. Donghyuck looked up at him and shrugged.

“Fine. She hits fucking hard” he grumbled, reaching up to touch where Deborah literally bitch-slapped him. Jaehyun huffed as he sat down on the edge of Donghyuck’s desk.

“Yeah, well she’s going away so she won’t hurt anyone anymore” he stated. Donghyuck nodded.

“What about Carlo?” he asked.

“He’s going away too. Mark will make sure they stay in prison for a long time” Taeyong replied. Donghyuck nodded.

“Good. Fucking hated the guy” he growled. Jaehyun nodded.

“So did we” he agreed before he reached out and gave him a comforting head ruffle.

“I want you to go home and rest. You hit the floor pretty hard and I don’t want you to come back with a concussion” he stated. Donghyuck nodded.

“Okay” he agreed as he saved what he was doing and stood up, grabbing his bag and coat before heading home. Taeyong and Jaehyun then headed back to their office where Taeil and Doyoung were waiting for them.

“Thank you for your help. Again” Taeyong thanked. Taeil nodded.

“You’re welcome. Thank you for getting justice for another one of our own” he thanked. 

“If you ever need anything, just give us a call. We’ll be in touch” Doyoung stated before he and Taeil walked out of the office and towards the entrance, Taeyong and Jaehyun watching as they left. Once they were gone, Jaehyun looked over at Taeyong.

“Let’s call it a night, hmm?” he asked. Taeyong hummed.

“Alright” he agreed. Jaehyun grinned and quickly grabbed his jacket, waiting for Taeyong before both men walked out of the office, heading home for the evening.

**_CASE CLOSED_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	87. Case 13: Design - Part 1

“My name's Ed and I'm here to listen to your problems with empathy, without judgment or advise” a security called out one early morning on a building rooftop, speaking to a young pregnant woman standing on the edge of the roof.

“Go away!” the woman called back.

“I care about you, and I'm sure many others do, too” the security guard, Ed, continued as he looked down at a little pamphlet in his hands.

“Please just leave me alone!” the young woman called back, turning to face him before she turned back and looked down at the streets below.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Take it easy. There's got to be a lot of folks that would miss you” Ed exclaimed, trying to stop her from jumping.

“No, no one” the young woman cried.

“What about the baby’s father?” Ed asked. The young woman shook her head.

“You don't understand. I was raped!” she exclaimed.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Sicheng arrived at the scene, carrying a cup of hot chocolate in his hand.

“Name?” he asked, following Ed. Ed shook his head.

“We never got that far” he replied. Sicheng motioned to the room.

“Is this her room?” he inquired. Ed shook his head again.

“No, she came in here when the maid was cleaning. I don't even think she was staying here” he answered. Sicheng nodded before he waved a hand.

“I need everybody out now” he ordered. He then stepped out onto the roof to see the young woman sitting on the ledge.

“It's cold out here. I brought you something to drink” he stated gently. The young woman glanced over at him and shook her head.

“I can't drink coffee” she replied.

“It's just cocoa, okay? Why don't you take it?” Sicheng suggested, slowly walking towards her. He then stopped about a foot away from her, holding out the drink.

“It'll warm up your hands. I'm just gonna put it right there, okay?” he stated, carefully putting down next to the young woman. The young woman didn’t move for a moment before she reached down and grabbed the cup, holding it in her hands.

“Thanks” she thanked. Sicheng nodded as he put his hands in his pants pockets.

“I’m Sicheng” he introduced. The young woman glanced over at him before she sniffled.

“April” she replied. Sicheng nodded.

“What's going on, April?” he asked gently. When April didn’t answer, he sighed before glancing at her belly.

“April, have you picked out a name for your baby?” he asked.

“Sarah. Sarah was my mom's name. She died last year. Breast cancer” April explained before she glanced over at him.

“The security guard told you?” she inquired. Sicheng nodded.

“Yes. That's why I'm here. I'm from the Special Victims Unit” he explained, making April turn towards him.

“What if I can't love my baby?” she asked before she let out a sob.

“My baby...” she whimpered. Sicheng shook his head.

“You chose to keep your baby. You gave her a beautiful name. You already love your baby” he soothed, taking a step towards her. April shook her head, tears streaming down her face.

“I can’t, I can’t do this alone” she cried. Sicheng shook his head again.

“Well, you don't have to. I want you to listen to me. I'm gonna help you. I promise you; I will help you” he assured.

“How?” April screamed.

“We're gonna figure it out together. Now, will you give me your hand?” Sicheng asked, taking a hand out of his pocket, holding it to her. When April didn’t move and looked over the edge, Sicheng stepped forward and quickly picked her up and helped her off the ledge, pulling her into a hug as she screamed and cried.

“No!” she screamed.

“It’s okay. It’s okay” Sicheng soothed, rubbing her back. 

“No” April whimpered, burying her face in Sicheng’s neck.

~*~*~*~*~

“Patient presented as depressed and tearful upon arrival” a doctor stated as he, Sicheng, and Yuta walked through the hospital.

“Her name's April. April Troost” Sicheng snapped. The doctor huffed.

“Ran a tox screen on her as well as a blood alcohol. Both negative” he continued as he headed over to the nurse’s desk.

“What about the pregnancy?” Yuta inquired. 

“She's approximately 35 weeks. No sign of distress or malnutrition. She's good to go” the doctor replied. 

“You mean give birth” Sicheng stated. The doctor looked at him and shook his head.

“No. I mean I'm releasing her” he replied. Yuta and Sicheng looked at him in shock.

“Uh, maybe you missed the part where she was gonna take a swan dive off a 20-story building” Yuta exclaimed. The doctor shrugged.

“Her suicidal ideation has passed, and she has no history of prior attempts” he stated.

“Well, can you guarantee that she's not gonna climb out on the ledge tomorrow?” Sicheng demanded. The doctor shook his head again.

“No, of course not” he replied.

“Then put her on a psych hold until the baby is born” Yuta ordered.

“I can't do that. She's not acutely psychotic or a danger to herself or others” the doctor replied. Yuta and Sicheng looked at him in shock again.

“Hey. Hey! The baby, baby doesn't count?” Yuta exclaimed. The doctor huffed.

“Look, she agreed to outpatient counseling. My job's done” he stated before he turned and walked off. Sicheng and Yuta looked at one another in shock before Sicheng shook his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	88. Case 13: Design - Part 2

“I thought I was dealing with the rape. Until yesterday. I just snapped” April explained as she sat before Sicheng, who hummed.

“That happens. You're not the first person to go through this” he assured. April sighed and shook her head.

“Everywhere I look, I see his face. Even when I close my eyes” she whispered. Sicheng hummed.

“Why don't you tell me about him?” he suggested. April hummed, thinking.

“We met at a bar and talked all night. He offered to walk me home, and I thought, _“Finally, a gentleman”._ Went to my apartment. And I remember praying, _"please kiss me good night."_ It'd been so long. That's when he shoved me in and locked the door” she explained. Sicheng frowned.

“Why didn't you call the police?” he asked. April shook her head.

“I was a fool. I actually believed that he was interested in me. A nurse's aide. I barely have my GED” she explained. Sicheng shook his head.

“April, what happened to you wasn't your fault. Facing him is gonna help you deal with this” he soothed. April shook her head.

“I can't” she replied. Sicheng nodded.

“You gotta be strong for little Sarah. You're all she has. And I promise I will help you” he assured, making April look at him.

“How?” she demanded. 

“By arresting the man that raped you. Tell me his name” Sicheng instructed.

“Barclay Pallister” April answered.

~*~*~*~*~

“You expect me to remember a woman I met in a bar eight months ago” Barclay asked as Yuta and Donghyuck followed him through a research hospital.

“You drank, you laughed, one thing led to another—” Taeyong started, showing him a picture of April. Barclay huffed.

“Maybe I'd remember if we'd had sex” he replied.

“You did, and she's calling it rape” Donghyuck growled. Taeyong smirked.

“Yeah, by the way, congratulations. You're the daddy” he stated. Barclay spun around, looking at them.

“The hell I am. I didn't have sex with anybody. I certainly didn't rape anyone. I'm happily married” he spat before he turned and headed into a lab, Donghyuck and Taeyong following him.

“Happy enough for the wife to alibi you?” Donghyuck asked. Barclay huffed.

“I was probably here. I spend more time in the lab than I do at home” he replied. 

“No alibi” Yuta deadpanned. Barclay shrugged.

“Well, maybe she saw my photo in Forbes or Fortune. Thought I was an easy target” he mused. Donghyuck raised an eyebrow.

“All those NBA players out there and she picked you” he sneered. Barclay then stopped outside of a lab room and turned to face the two men.

“Look, I don't mean to brag but, women have been crawling out of the woodwork ever since my company went public” he explained before he turned around and opened the lab door, stepping inside. Donghyuck and Taeyong followed him; Taeyong frowning when he saw the bodies inside.

“What's up with the stiffs?” he asked. 

“They're my gold mine. I invented an eco-friendly method of turning these cadavers into dust without ever lighting a match. My flash-freeze method will revolutionize mortuary science” Barclay explained. Donghyuck huffed.

“And that gets you laid like a rock star” he sneered. Barclay shook his head.

“I'd never be unfaithful to my wife. She stood by me one failed experiment after another” he stated. Taeyong hummed.

“So you have no problem taking a paternity test” he mused. Barclay looked over at him and shook his head.

“If it's necessary. But I'm telling you, the kid isn't mine” he declared.

~*~*~*~*~

“DNA proves it. April Troost’s kid is definitely yours” Yuta declared, slamming down the DNA test in front of Barclay and his lawyer in their interrogation room. Barclay’s lawyer and Kim Jongin’s husband, Do Kyungsoo, looked at the DNA test while Barclay looked up at him in shock.

“But that's impossible. I didn't touch her” he argued. 

“Immaculate conception's not gonna hold up in court, so why don't you try again?” Sicheng sneered, raising an eyebrow.

“All right. Mr. Pallister admits that he met the defendant at a bar. They had drinks, but he does not remember having sexual relations with her” Kyungsoo declared. Yuta hummed.

“Okay, so you had one too many, you didn't know what your body was doing. Intox defense. That's better” he mused. 

“I'd know if I raped her” Barclay exclaimed. Sicheng glared at him.

“You did. And April Troost has a swollen belly to prove it” he snapped. 

“In light of the DNA results, we'll stipulate to paternity. But the sex was consensual. There was no rape” Kyungsoo declared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	89. Case 13: Design - Part 3

The next day, at trial, April was giving her testimony on the stand.

“I begged him to stop. But he wouldn't listen” she started. Mark hummed.

“This was after he bolted the door” he asked. April nodded.

“Yes. He threw me on the floor, and he pinned me. I couldn't move” she continued. Mark looked at her sympathetically.

“Did you scream?” he asked. April nodded again.

“At the top of my lungs. But then he covered my mouth with his hand. And I could barely breathe” she answered. Mark hummed.

“Did you fight him?” he inquired. 

“I think I scratched his face. But then he got more violent, and he put his hands around my neck like this, and he choked me. And I thought if I stopped screaming, then maybe... maybe he wouldn't kill me” April answered. Mark crossed his arms.

“What happened next?” he asked. 

“He raped me. He raped me over and over and over” April sobbed.

~*~*~*~*~

After the testimony, Mark headed back to his office, Kyungsoo following him.

“Do we really want to put that poor woman through any more pain?” he asked. Mark glanced over his shoulder.

“What are you offering, hyung?” he replied. 

“Probation, no jail time, you and I take the rest of the afternoon off” Kyungsoo declared. Mark scoffed.

“I'd rather work. 15 years. He does it all” he countered. Kyungsoo huffed.

“He's a contributing member of society, and she belongs in a psych ward. Your own detectives tried to commit her” he reminded. Mark shook his head.

“You can't use that” he argued. Kyungsoo smirked.

“I can in a custody hearing” he stated. Mark’s eyes widened.

“First he denies having sex with her, now he wants to be father of the year?” he hissed. 

“It's his baby too. He'll fight her for it. Unless she agrees to a plea” Kyungsoo stated before he turned and walked away. Once he was gone, Mark walked over to Sicheng and April, smiling slightly at April.

“Ready?” he asked. April shook her head.

“I can't face him again” she whispered.

“You're already halfway there” Mark assured.

“All you have to do is keep your eyes on me” Sicheng added. April looked at the two men before she smiled.

“Thank you” he thanked. 

~*~*~*~*~

“Why did you wait eight months to report the alleged rape?” Kyungsoo asked as April sat on the stand.

“I was scared. Confused. Humiliated” April answered. Kyungsoo raised an eyebrow.

“Would you say suicidal?” he inquired. 

“I wanted to end my life” April stated. Kyungsoo hummed.

“Yes. And your baby's?” he inquired. April shook her head.

“No. That's why I couldn't hurt myself. I love my baby too much” she argued. Kyungsoo raised an eyebrow.

“A love so strong, you're willing to charge the baby's father with rape?” he asked. 

“It's the right thing to do” April argued. Kyungsoo hummed.

“And nothing will change your mind?” he inquired. April shook her head.

“No” she answered. Kyungsoo hummed again and crossed his arms.

“How about half a million dollars? You called my office this morning and said you wanted to settle” he declared, making Mark and Sicheng look at April in shock while Barclay just smirked.

~*~*~*~*~

After the trial, Sicheng, Mark, and April headed to Mark’s office; Mark glaring at April.

“What the hell were you thinking?” he snapped. April looked at him with wide eyes.

“That lawyer told me if I lose, Barclay will take the baby” she exclaimed.

“He was lying to you” Mark growled. April shook her head.

“I didn't know” she replied. Mark growled again.

“You sandbagged me” he spat.

“Now the jury sees you as a gold digger, not a rape victim” Sicheng snarled, glaring at April as well.

“I'm sorry. I made a mistake” April exclaimed.

“Why didn't you just call me?” Sicheng exclaimed. April pointed to him.

“Because you'd be mad at me. You are. I can see it in your eyes” she exclaimed. Sicheng growled.

“I'm not mad. I'm, I'm, I'm disappointed” he stated before he turned away from April, running his hand through his hair.

“How bad is it?” April asked, looking over at Mark, who sighed.

“Our only choice is to put you back on the stand to turn down the settlement. I'll recall you tomorrow, and you can testify again” he stated. April nodded.

“I will do anything to set things right” she assured, looking over at Sicheng, who just looked at her darkly.

~*~*~*~*~

“My court starts at 9 sharp, Mr. Lee. Where's your witness?” the judge demanded, looking at Mark the next day in court. Mark sighed.

“I'm sure she's just delayed, your honor” he offered. 

“We've been waiting 40 minutes. She's made her decision. She wants to settle” Kyungsoo declared. Mark glared over at him before he looked back at the judge.

“She had every intention of testifying today. If I could just have a brief continuance—” he started. The judge shook his head.

“Miss Troost has obviously changed her mind. I'm not gonna keep that jury waiting any longer” he argued.

“Your honor, I have Sergeant Nakamoto on the line. Highway police just found Miss Troost” the court recorder called out, making Mark and Sicheng look over at him in shock before Sicheng quickly stood up, pulling out his phone before he headed out of court. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	90. Case 13: Design - Part 4

“She was traveling eastbound, missed the curve, and ran off the cliff right here” one of the officers explained as Yuta and Sicheng headed towards the scene.

“No guardrail?” Yuta asked. The officer huffed as he pointed to the scene.

“I bet they'll find the money for one after this. The gas tank burst into flames on impact. No survivors” he stated as Yuta and Sicheng looked down over the edge to where the remains of a car were surrounded by police cars and a fire truck. 

~*~*~*~*~

After seeing the scene, Yuta and Sicheng headed down to talk to the officers.

“What time?” Sicheng asked, his voice soft.

“Fire department got the call around 5 this morning. They said it'd been burning for quite a while. She probably fell asleep at the wheel” the officer answered. Sicheng nodded before he turned away from the officer.

“I think you'll find it's a suicide” he hissed as he walked away, Yuta walking over to him.

“Baby, there's nothing you could've done” he stated gently, both men walking away from the scene. Sicheng shook his head.

“I was angry, and I let it show” he croaked. Yuta sighed.

“You got pissed off because she lied to you” he reminded. 

“She needed somebody to believe in her” Sicheng snapped, glancing over at him before quickly walking off. Yuta watched him before he sighed and shook his head.

~*~*~*~*~

After leaving the crime scene, Sicheng headed to Mark’s office to talk to him.

“The trial can still go on without April, can't it?” he asked. Mark looked up at him and sighed.

“Hyung, what’s the point? I'm offering Barclay a deal” he stated. Sicheng looked at him in shock.

“He raped her and he left her with a child. The jury knows that he did it” he argued. Mark shook his head.

“The jury's going to acquit. Last two words they heard were cash settlement” he reminded. 

“Which she was about to turn down” Sicheng exclaimed. 

“Unless she says so on the stand, it's inadmissible” Mark stated. Sicheng looked at him before he huffed.

“So we just let Barclay walk?” he hissed. Mark looked at him before he sighed.

“Find me some evidence she was gonna turn down the settlement, and I'll use it to bluff Barclay into a plea” he declared.

~*~*~*~*~

At April Troost’s apartment, Yuta and Sicheng were searching for something, anything, that could give them evidence.

“There's no suicide note, no diary” Sicheng grumbled as Yuta sat at April’s computer, searching.

“Nothing on her email. No documents relating to the settlement” he called out as Sicheng walked over to the couch and sat down, a stack of bills in his hand.

“Just bills” he mused before he frowned and stood up, feeling the back of his pants before feeling the couch.

“Sofa's wet” he called out, making Yuta look over before he frowned as well.

“What's with the white crust?” he asked. 

~*~*~*~*~

“Hydrogen peroxide. Foams up when it comes into contact with blood cells. Bubbles dry and leaves this white crust” CSU officer Han Jisung explained before he lifted his UV lamp to the wall behind the couch.

“Well, check out the wall. See these smears?” he stated. Sicheng hummed.

“Tried to wipe off the blood” he murmured.

“And on the floor” Yuta added, looking down at the floor. Han then looked over at them.

“Nobody, but this is definitely a crime scene. I'd say we have a homicide” he declared before he walked over to the light switch and flicked it on.

“Perp kills April here, stuffs her body in the car, and sends it over the cliff” Yuta mused. 

~*~*~*~*~

“I figured out how the crash was rigged” CSU technician Lee Minho stated as he led Yuta and Sicheng to a spot a little ways away from the car crash. 

“Looks like a paint mixing can” Sicheng mused as he looked down at the metal can. Minho chuckled.

“Similar. But these are used to store chemicals in labs” he explained as he knelt down and picked up the can.

“Like Barclay Pallister's” Yuta growled. Minho then stood up, holding up the can so Yuta and Sicheng could see.

“It was thrown from the car on impact. See the angle of these dents? They're consistent with the pail being wedged under the dash when the pedal's to the metal” he explained before he pointed up to the main road.

“I found more evidence up there” he stated. 

~*~*~*~*~

Up on the main road, Minho motioned to the road as he, Sicheng, and Yuta walked over.

“See these tire marks in the pavement?” he asked. Sicheng nodded.

“Wheels spun in place” he answered. Minho nodded.

“He wedged in the can, and revved the engine” he declared. Yuta hummed.

“Shift the car into drive, it takes off like a rocket” he mused before he looked over at the scene.

“Kills April in her apartment, stages the crash here. With her history, Barclay knew we'd rule it a suicide” he continued. 

“Her body burns up so no one ever knows what he did to her” Sicheng added as Minho looked over at them.

“I sent everything from the car's interior over to the morgue. Maybe Yangyang can piece together how she died” he offered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	91. Case 13: Design - Part 5

“This is all that survived the fire” Yangyang declared as Yuta and Sicheng stood on either side of him.

“Not very much” Sicheng mused.

“Fire marshal says an accelerant was used, probably gasoline, to enhance the burn” Yangyang explained. Yuta huffed.

“Smart guy, he wanted to make sure we didn't find a body” he sneered. Yangyang smirked.

“I didn’t” he declared. Yuta and Sicheng looked at one another before Sicheng looked over at Yangyang.

“You mean it was incinerated?” he asked. Yangyang shook his head.

“No, I mean, there wasn't one in that car. Body burns, you always find something. Partial long bones, dental fillings” he explained. Yuta gritted his teeth.

“Son of a bitch used his technology to vaporize her” he hissed.

“He had to have access to her home and her car. Maybe, maybe somebody saw him with her” Sicheng suggested. Yangyang raised an eyebrow.

“April keep her car in a garage?” he inquired.

~*~*~*~*~

“She parks it on the street. Poor Ms. Troost. She's such a sweet lady” the doorman explained to Donghyuck and Jaehyun.

“Were you the doorman last night?” Jaehyun asked. The doorman nodded.

“Until 11” he answered.

“Who relieved you?” Jaehyun inquired. The doorman shook his head.

“No one. After I leave, visitors have to be buzzed in” he explained. Donghyuck hummed.

“Well, how about security cameras, surveillance video?” he asked. The doorman shook his head.

“Management's too cheap. When I retire in August, won't even be a day guy on the door anymore” he explained. Donghyuck and Jaehyun nodded before Jaehyun crossed his arms.

“When is the last time you saw April Troost?” he asked. 

“Well, she came home from a dinner date around 10” the doorman answered. Donghyuck frowned.

“You sure it was a date?” he asked. 

“She was all dolled up. She went to Luigi's, which is kinda romantic” the doorman answered. Jaehyun frowned.

“How do you know what restaurant?” he asked. 

“She brought me a doggie bag. Nice T-bone for my rottweiler” the doorman explained. 

~*~*~*~*~

At Luigi’s, Donghyuck and Jaehyun went to go talk to one of the servers about April.

“Of course I remember her. She special ordered. No garlic because of the baby” the server explained. Donghyuck smirked.

“Maybe she was hoping for a good night kiss” he teased. Jaehyun shot him a look as the server shook his head.

“I don't think so. They barely spoke the whole meal” he stated. Jaehyun then looked at him.

“What did he look like?” he asked.

“Tall. And from his black American express card, very rich” the server answered. 

“You get a copy of the receipt?” Donghyuck asked.

“Should be behind the bar somewhere” the server answerd as he headed back behind the bar, Jaehyun and Donghyuck following him.

“Uh, how was she acting?” Donghyuck inquired. The server hummed.

“Pretty upset. Before dessert, she yelled at him and stormed out” he explained as he began sifting through receipts.

“Do you know why?” Jaehyun asked. The server shrugged.

“I figured it was the hormones” he answered before he found he receipt.

“Here it is. Barclay Pallister” he declared. Jaehyun and Donghyuck looked at one another before they thanked the server for his time.

~*~*~*~*~

“This is sour grapes. You had to dismiss the rape case, so you're trying to pin a homicide on an innocent man” Kyungsoo exclaimed as Yuta and Sicheng stood before him and Barclay in Barclay’s home. Sicheng huffed.

“The only reason that we lost the rape case is, because your client killed April Troost” he declared, looking at Barclay.

“Kind of hard to kill someone in a crowded restaurant” Kyungsoo reminded.

“But easy at her apartment” Yuta objected. Barclay glared at him.

“I never went to her apartment” he snapped.

“Where'd you go after Luigi's?” Yuta asked, crossing his arms.

“Straight home” Barclay answered.

“Will your wife vouch for that?” Sicheng asked, raising an eyebrow. Barclay then turned his glare on him.

“She left me after you charged me with rape” he spat. Yuta shrugged.

“Well, if the screw fits” he replied. 

“My client met Ms. Troost in a neutral location with plenty of witnesses. No law was broken” Kyungsoo argued. Sicheng crossed his arms.

“What about witness tampering?” he asked.

“She invited him” Kyungsoo argued.

“So what do a victim and a rapist talk about over a plate of pasta?” Yuta asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Money. She had me by the balls, so I gave her half a million in cash” Barclay answerd. Yuta looked over at Sicheng in surprise before he looked back at Barcaly.

“You walked through this city carrying $500,000 and just handed it over to her” he asked. Barcaly nodded.

“Yeah” he answered.

“Then why did she leave crying?” Sicheng asked. Barclay huffed.

“Because she's crazy. I was happy to pay her just to get her out of my life. She left with the money, and I never saw her again” he explained. 

“The problem is neither has anyone else” Yuta reminded.

“We're through here. Charge my client or leave” Kyungsoo ordered. Yuta and Sicheng looked at one another before they turned and headed towards the door when Yuta stopped and looked back at Barclay.

“By the way, your cleanup job at the apartment sucked. You should've let April burn up in that car. You've made an awful lot of mistakes, and I promise they're gonna catch up to you” he promised before he turned and walked out, Sicheng following him.

~*~*~*~*~

“Every piece of evidence points to Barclay Pallister. CSU checked his lab. Same chemical cans, same industrial strength hydrogen peroxide” Sicheng declared to Taeyong later on that evening. Taeyong sighed.

“Which you could find in any lab. It's still circumstantial” he reminded. 

“Well, look, the blood on the sofa, walls, floor, they're a DNA match to April” Yuta argued. Taeyong huffed.

“May I remind both of you that we don’t have a body?” he asked, raising an eyebrow, just as Donghyuck walked in.

“Hyung, we got a nosy neighbor off the canvass. Said she complained to April about loud music the night she died. April apologized and said she'd tell her friend to turn it down” he explained, walking over to them.

“Did the neighbor get a look at this friend?” Taeyong asked. 

“She just said him” Donghyuck answered, just as Jaehyun walked out of his and Taeyong’s shared office.

“I may know who. April's LUDs, four incoming calls to her cell phone after dinner, all from the same number” he stated, walking over to them.

“Barclay Pallister” Sicheng declared. Jaehyun shook his head.

“No. A Roger Mason. Lives on East 82nd” he stated.

~*~*~*~*~

“April didn't answer the phone. I was worried about the baby, so I kept calling. That's what friends do” Roger explained as he let Jaehyun and Donghyuck into his apartment. Jaehyun crossed his arms.

“Most female homicide victims are killed by a man they know. That's another thing friends do” he stated. Roger then looked over at them.

“You think I killed her?” he asked. Donghyuck shrugged.

“You got impatient, because she didn't return your calls. Went over to her apartment, got in a fight, and killed her” he stated. Roger shook his head.

“I'd never hurt my baby” he declared. Jaehyun and Donghyuck frowned.

“Your baby?” Jaehyun repeated. 

“Our baby” a female voice called out, making Donghyuck and Jaehyun look over to see a young woman, Roger’s wife Monica, come out of a nearby bedroom and walk over to them.

“We were going to adopt her unborn child” she explained. Donghyuck shook his head.

“April never mentioned that” he stated, glancing over at Jaehyun. Roger sighed.

“We agreed to pay for the costs and the fees of the pregnancy and delivery” he explained.

“How much does a bouncing baby girl go for these days?” Jaehyun asked, raising an eyebrow.

“$50,000” Roger answered. Donghyuck’s eyes widened before he huffed.

“Sounds like you were buying a baby” he mused.

“April didn't want to keep the baby. This was best for everyone” Roger explained.

“Now do you understand? We could never hurt April” Monica added. Donghyuck then crossed his arms.

“Then what was so urgent that night?” he asked.

“April was depressed. She'd been through a lot. Her husband died. She lost her job, got behind in the rent” Roger explained.

“We had been giving her extra cash. But then two days ago she stopped returning our calls” Monica added, tears in her eyes.

~*~*~*~*~

“April sure made a bundle off of that rape. Talk about making a silk purse out of a sow's ear” Donghyuck grumbled as he, Taeyong, and Jaehyun walked through the precinct. 

“Half a million from Barclay Pallister, and 50 grand for selling the baby” Jaehyun added. Taeyong huffed.

“Not exactly the poor, fragile victim we thought she was” he mused.

“You have no idea” Sicheng called out from the bullpen, making Taeyong, Jaehyun, and Donghyuck look over to see multiple couples sitting at the different desks.

“Meet the Ramseys, the Harts, the Fritzlers. All expectant parents. All paid 50 grand to adopt April Troost’s baby” he declared as he walked over to Taeyong, looking him in the eyes.

“There could be dozens of marks we don't even know about” he hissed.

“She used the rape and pregnancy to turn a quick buck. And everybody she scammed has motive to kill her” Taeyong mused.

“Excuse me, I'm looking for Captain Lee” a voice called out, making everyone turn to see a tall woman dressed in a tan coat with a fur collar standing in the doorway.

“I'm Captain Lee” Taeyong answered. The woman then walked forward, shaking Taeyong’s hand.

“Lorraine Dillon. I'm April Troost’s mother” she greeted. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	92. Case 13: Design - Part 6

“April said that her mother's name was Sarah” Sicheng murmured as he and Yuta sat down in Taeyong and Jaheyun’s office before Lorraine. Lorraine chuckled.

“I've had six husbands and as many last names. But I've always been Lorraine” she explained. 

“Your daughter also said that you died of cancer last year” Sicheng added. Lorraine sighed.

“She always had a problem with the truth. When she was a child, she'd run away. And when I brought her back home, she'd make all these crazy allegations against my former husbands” she explained.

“When's the last time you saw her?” Taeyong asked, crossing his arms as he sat beside Jaehyun.

“It was about four years ago. We had a fight. She stole several very expensive pieces of jewelry, including my grandmother's diamond and ruby necklace” Lorraine explained. Jaehyun raised an eyebrow.

“Did you call the police?” he asked.

“She was my daughter. Maybe if I'd had, she'd, she would still be alive” Lorraine sniffled before she looked at Sicheng.

“Do you have any idea who did this?” she asked. Taeyong sighed.

“Mrs. Dillon, we think April was mixed up in some illegal activity. There are quite a few suspects” he explained. Lorraine frowned.

“What did she do?” she asked. 

“She took a lot of money from a lot of people” Sicheng answered. Lorraine hummed.

“April always had a way of hiding things. I remember once she said something about a safe deposit box” she offered.

~*~*~*~*~

At the bank, Sicheng, Lorraine, and Yuta were waiting for one of the bank clerks to remove the safety deposit box from the wall. Once they had the box, they took it over to a nearby table and opened it.

“Any jewelry in there?” Lorraine asked. Yuta, who was the one who opened the box, frowned and shook his head.

“No. Headshots” he answered, handing the photos to Sicheng. Sicheng looked through them, Lorraine looking over his shoulder.

“Those are very handsome men” she mused.

“And well known. He's a musician. This one owns the hottest restaurant in Asymaye. This is that new third basemen that just came up from AAA. These guys are a lot more than just good looking” Sicheng murmured as Yuta looked over at him, holding up a headshot.

“How about this guy?” he asked. Sicheng looked up, eyes widening in surprise.

“Barclay Pallister” he breathed.

“The man who raped my daughter? Why would she have his photograph?” Lorraine asked, confused. Sicheng and Yuta looked at one another; they knew the reason.

~*~*~*~*~

“April was stalking Barclay Pallister. And dozens of other men” Yuta declared the next morning to the rest of the team.

“All handsome, rich, talented, at the top of their professions” Sicheng added. Donghyuck then pointed to one of the men.

“I know this guy. J.J. Price. I've got his CD” he declared. Taeyong looked at the headshots and crossed his arms.

“It's quite a gene pool she's got here” he mused. Yuta shrugged.

“April was looking for a champion breeder. Barclay was the winner” he stated. Donghyuck huffed.

“Some girl tricked me into fatherhood, I'd be pretty worked up” he grumbled.

“And paying child support for the next 18 years. 17.5% of your income before taxes” Jaehyun reminded. 

“With April and the baby dead, Barclay dodges that bullet” Sicheng mused. Yuta shook

his head.

“Not for the murder charge” he reminded. Taeyong huffed.

“If he did it. He's only one of the men April was stalking. Let's find out who else she burned” he instructed.

~*~*~*~*~

“Oh, that crazy chick? What'd she say I did?” Don Lacey, one of the men April stalked, asked after Yuta showed him a picture of her. Yuta raised an eyebrow.

“So you know her?” he replied. Don huffed.

“Yeah, I really wish I didn't” he answered. Yuta hummed.

“You two have sex?” he inquired, leaning down so that no one else could hear his question.

~*~*~*~*~

“Most likely, yeah” J.J. Price stated after Donghyuck asked him if he and April had sex. Donghyuck raised an eyebrow.

“How do you forget if you’ve had sex with her or not? You must get a lot of action” he mused. J.J. chuffed.

“Dude, you don't know the half of it, man. I remember her face. I just don't remember the name. The whole night was kinda fuzzy” he explained. Donghyuck frowned.

“Where’d you meet her?” he asked.

~*~*~*~*~

“At my restaurant. Every man with a pulse checked her out” Leo Ashford, another man April stalked, answered after Sicheng showed him a picture of April and asked him where he met her.

“But she only had eyes for you?” Sicheng asked, raising an eyebrow.

“And my wallet. But a body like that is worth every penny” Leo answered. 

“How much she cost you?” Sicheng asked.

~*~*~*~*~

“Nothing. She bought me a beer” Don explained as he signed a little boy’s bat.

“Bet that happens a lot” Yuta mused.

“Well, they usually expect me to pay, especially after signing my last big contract but, she was different. She knew everything about me, down to my stats” Don explained. Yuta hummed.

“What'd you do after the drink?” he inquired.

~*~*~*~*~

“Think we went back to my crib” J.J. answered. Donghyuck raised an eyebrow.

“You think? That's all you remember?” he asked. J.J. huffed.

“Dude, I remember porcelain, man. Up close and personal” he answered. Donghyuck crossed his arms.

“How many drinks did she buy you?” he asked. 

~*~*~*~*~

“Just one, which never gives me a hangover. I was sick as a dog” Leo explained. Sicheng frowned.

“Groggy, nauseous?” he asked. Leo nodded.

“Both. I thought I had the flu” he explained.

“Did you see a doctor?” Sicheng asked.

~*~*~*~*~

“Didn't have to. Pulled a random drug test the next morning. I failed” Don stated. Yuta hummed.

“What'd you take?” he asked. Don shook his head.

“Nothing. She doped me” he explained. Yuta frowned before he nodded slowly.

“All right. What'd they find?” he inquired.

“Rohypnol” Don answered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	93. Case 13: Design - Part 7

After talking to Don, Yuta quickly headed to Barclay’s lab, stepping inside before walking over to Barclay.

“What are you doing here?” Barclay demanded, looking at him.

“Just need to ask you some questions” Yuta answered. Barclay shook his head.

“Get the hell away from me” he spat, quickly walking away from Yuta.

“Hear me out” Yuta begged. Barclay shook his head again.

“The rape charge was dropped. I don't need to talk to you” he spat. Yuta huffed and reached out, grabbing him by the arm.

“Please, just listen to me” he begged before he looked Barclay in the eyes.

“Now, the first time that you met April, she bought you a drink” he started. Barclay nodded.

“Yeah, so?” he asked. 

“What's the next thing you remember?” Yuta inquired.

“Waking up in my own bed, alone” Barclay snapped. Yuta sighed.

“Loss of memory? Headache? Nausea?” he asked softly. Barclay nodded before he frowned.

“She put something in my drink?” he asked. Yuta nodded.

“Rohypnol” he answered. Barclay huffed.

“I told you I didn't rape her” he whispered. Yuta nodded.

“I know” he agreed. Barclay was quiet before he frowned and looked at Yuta.

“But if she slipped me a roofie... how did I get it up?” he asked.

~*~*~*~*~

After Yuta talked to Barclay, Jaehyun and Donghyuck headed down to the morgue to talk to Yangyang about Barclay’s question.

“The only explanation is a technique called electro ejaculation” Yangyang explained as he walked over to a device. Donghyuck shuddered.

“I don't like the sound of that” he murmured. Yangyang chuffed.

“Nothing to it. Insert this end in the rectum—” he started, motioning to a strange almost dildo-like device before motioning to the box it was connected to.

“—an electric shock causes an involuntary ejaculation” he finished. Donghyuck and Jaehyun looked at the device in horror before Jaehyun shook his head.

“Love used to be simpler” he murmured. Yangyang hummed.

“The first procedure was done back in the '70s on a teenager who died in a motorcycle accident. His parents wanted grandchildren. It's called posthumous reproduction” he explained. Jaehyun frowned.

“The sperm from a corpse is viable?” he asked. Yangyang shrugged.

“If harvested within 30 hours” he answered.

“Will this thing work if the guy's not dead?” Donghyuck asked, pointing to the machine.

“They've recently started using this technique on paraplegics and coma victims. If your guys were drugged, they never knew it happened” Yangyang answered.

~*~*~*~*~

“And this is legal?!” Taeyong exclaimed, looking up at Jaehyun with wide eyes after looking at a photo of the electro ejaculation device.

“No state law provides clear guidance on how to retrieve sperm from a man who's incapacitated or dead” Jaehyun answered. Taeyong let out a heavy sigh before he looked over at Yuta, Sicheng, and Donghyuck.

“And you talked to all the men that April stalked?” he asked. Sicheng nodded.

“34 guys, same story” he answered.

“April buys them a drink. Next thing they know, it's morning, she's gone, they're sick puppies” Yuta added. Taeyong held up the photo.

“Any nightmares about cattle prods?” he asked. Sicheng scoffed.

“Oh, they never knew what hit them” he replied. Jaehyun then shook his head.

“I thought I heard of every sex crime” he murmured.

“Who thinks this stuff up?!” Donghyuck exclaimed, looking at the others. Taeyong huffed before he looked over at the evidence board.

“Okay, so we know that April used Barclay Pallister's sperm to impregnate herself. What did she do with the rest?” he asked. 

“A lot of women out there would pay big money to have one of these guys father their children” Yuta mused as Sicheng turned and hopped on his laptop, fingers flying over the keys.

“Sperm banks make big bucks off genius sperm” Jaehyun added.

“We have seven sperm banks in Asmaye” Sicheng called out.

“Let's split them up and hit them all” Taeyong ordered.

~*~*~*~*~

At the McManus Institute, Sicheng and Yuta were standing before the front desk; the woman holding out a clipboard.

“Welcome to the institute. Please have a seat and fill this out” she instructed when Sicheng shook his head and flashed his badge.

“We're not interested in your services” he stated as Yuta held up a picture of April.

“Do you know this woman?” he asked.

“April. She used to work here” the woman replied. Yuta hummed.

“What was her job?” he asked. 

“Collections. She was our accountant” the woman explained.

“You lying son of a bitch. You're a fraud. Listen to that crap” a woman’s voice shouted from behind a nearby door, making Sicheng and Yuta look over before they walked over to the door and opened it to find a man, a woman, and a young girl banging on a play piano.

“Excuse me? Who are you?” the man called out. Sicheng flashed his badge as he stepped inside.

“The police. What's going on in here?” he asked, looking over at the woman.

“That quack tricked me” she snapped, pointing to the man.

“I did nothing of the sort” the man replied.

“I want my money back” the woman growled, taking a step forward when Yuta held out a hand.

“Okay, stop. Now, what exactly is the problem?” he demanded. 

“He said my baby would be playing Mozart” the woman snapped.

“I told you there were no guarantees” the man exclaimed. 

“She can't even play chopsticks! All she does is bang on the damn keys!” the woman snapped. Yuta rolled his eyes before he looked over at the man.

“All right, what exactly did you promise her?” he asked. The man shook his head.

“Nothing. I inseminated her with the life juice of a renowned musician. A genius in his field who will remain nameless” he stated.

“Then why am I stuck with her?” the woman demanded. 

“You provided 50% of her genetic material. Perhaps she inherited your traits” the man replied. 

“Okay, how much did you pay for this super sperm?” Yuta asked. 

“$20,000” the woman replied as the man pointed at her.

“I want this woman arrested for trespassing” he ordered, just as Sicheng walked over and handcuffed him.

“What are you doing?” he exclaimed.

“I’m arresting _you_ ” Sicheng replied calmly. The man’s eyes widened.

“For, for what?” he exclaimed.

“Stealing sperm” Yuta deadpanned.

“What?” the man breathed as Sicheng took him and led him out of the office.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	94. Case 13: Design - Part 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise!

“This is absurd. You obviously don't understand the magnitude of my work. I'm saving the human race” the man, Dr. McManus snapped.

“By stealing sperm” Yuta deadpanned. McManus glared at him.

“I didn't steal anything” he spat. Sicheng huffed.

“You conspired with April Troost to forcibly obtain the mother lodes” he sneered. McManus shook his head.

“Nobody was forced. She explained my mission to the gentlemen, and persuaded them to donate” he explained. Yuta scoffed.

“Yeah, with a cattle prod” he snapped. McManus shook his head again.

“I had no idea. I'm sorry if people were hurt. But their suffering will benefit the greater good” he explained. Sicheng frowned.

“And how's that?” he asked.

“The intelligence of the world's population is rapidly declining. Poor, less educated people are reproducing at higher rates than bright, successful ones” McManus explained. Sicheng and Yuta looked at one another, both men raising an eyebrow.

“Did he just call us poor and uneducated?” Yuta asked. Sicheng hummed.

“That’s what I heard” he replied. McManus looked between them before he huffed.

“My work will reverse mankind's inevitable demise by spreading the seeds of world class scientists, musicians, athletes” he explained. Yuta shook his head.

“You're nothing but a Nazi trying to engineer a master race” he spat before he turned and walked out, walking over to Shotaro, who was watching.

_“He's a nut job”_ he grumbled in Japanese. Shotaro huffed.

_“A lot of researchers think he's Nobel prize material”_ he replied. Yuta looked at him in shock.

_“Who, the Dr. Mengele fan club?”_ he exclaimed. 

_“Almost everyone in genetic engineering. His work in pre-implantation genetic diagnosis allows us to screen embryos for severe disorders like Tay-sachs, cystic fibrosis, down syndrome”_ Shotaro replied. Yuta huffed.

_“So what I’m hearing is he’s legit”_ he grumbled. Shotaro raised a finger.

 _“And controversial. He just invented a technique for couples to select their own baby's sex. And he's researching ways of manipulating inherited characteristics like height, eye color, intelligence...”_ he explained as he walked out of the room, Yuta following him.

_“Making designer babies”_ Yuta deadpanned. Shotaro hummed in agreement.

 _“He can't do it yet. But in our lifetime, wealthy couples are gonna be able to custom-order a baby”_ he stated. Yuta frowned.

_“And the couples who can't afford it?”_ he asked. Shotaro sighed.

 _“There'll be two races. The enhanced and the average, driving a bigger wedge between the rich and the poor”_ he answered, just as Taeyong walked over to them.

“Looks like McManus' research is on ice” he declared. Yuta and Shotaro looked at him, both frowning.

“What happened?” Yuta asked.

“His clinic's broke” Taeyong answered. Yuta frowned.

“He makes hundreds of thousands selling genius sperm” he argued.

“But his research is expensive” Shotaro reminded. 

“It's a temporary setback. Dr. Frankenstein had a backup plan” Taeyong declared as he handed Yuta a file. Both Yuta and Shotaro glanced at him before they looked down at the file; Yuta’s face turning grave while Shotaro’s eyes widened.

~*~*~*~*~

After talking to Shotaro and Taeyong, Yuta headed back inside the interrogation room, showing the file to McManus.

“What's that?” McManus asked. Yuta smirked.

“April's life insurance policy naming you as the sole beneficiary. $5 million? You just went from zero to rich faster than it takes to drive off a cliff” he stated. 

“How could I know April was gonna have a tragic accident?” McManus demanded. 

“Well, she didn't. You murdered her” Yuta deadpanned. McManus scoffed.

“That's preposterous” he replied. Sicheng barked out a laugh and stood up from where he was sitting, walking over to stand by Yuta.

“It's more like ingenious” he stated as Yuta showed McManus a picture of the metal can Minho found at the crime scene.

“You recognize that?” he asked.

“It's a chemical storage can” McManus answered. 

“We found it at the scene at April's car crash. It's just like the one you use at your lab” Sicheng stated.

“Know what else we found at your lab? Hydrogen peroxide. Same concentrate that was used to clean up April's blood in her apartment” Yuta spat. McManus huffed.

“Hundreds of labs use these things” he argued. Sicheng smirked.

“But I bet yours was the only one who took out an insurance policy on the one person who could blow the whistle on where you got your sperm” he stated as Yuta looked at McManus.

“She suckered you, too, didn't she? She blackmailed you so nobody would find out? That's why you were so broke. And if your clinic closes down, you're not saving the world” he sneered.

“So you murdered her for the insurance money” Sicheng finished. McManus shook his head.

“No. I loved her” he argued. Sicheng made a face.

“Oh, so you were sleeping with her too” he sneered. McManus was the one to make a face this time.

“That's disgusting. She's my daughter. I didn't kill her. And I can prove it” he declared.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Sicheng stood before a hotel room door, knocking on it. A few moments later, the door opened to reveal a _not dead_ April Troost.

“Who told you?” April demanded. Sicheng looked at her in shock before he shook himself.

“Your father” he answered. April tsked.

“Mother always said never trust a man” she grumbled as Sicheng walked into the hotel room.

“Where's the baby, April?” he demanded.

“It was stillborn” April answered as she closed the door and followed him inside.

“You're a liar. What, you didn't need it anymore, so you killed it?” Sicheng sneered, turning and glaring at him. April huffed.

“That's not a very nice thing to say to someone in mourning” she stated. Sicheng’s eyes glowed bright pink.

 **“Cut the act, April! I'm sick of your crap”** he snarled.

“You were my friend. You promised to protect me” April argued. Sicheng growled.

**“When you were a rape victim, not a rapist. You sexually assaulted three dozen men”** he spat. April raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms.

“Really? Did they tell you I assaulted them?” she asked. Sicheng huffed.

“We've got you on extortion and fraud. Not to mention ripping off childless couples. And extorting half a million dollars from Barclay Pallister” he stated. April rolled her eyes.

“It was a settlement. There's nothing illegal about being paid for my pain and suffering” she argued, making Sicheng smirk.

“Faking your own murder for the insurance money is. Gotta hand it to you. Smearing your own blood on the walls? That was good” he sneered. April made a face.

“You have a sick imagination” she exclaimed.

“On my best day, I couldn't make this stuff up” Sicheng growled as he grabbed April by the wrist and spun her around, handcuffing her.

“I'm the victim here. None of this is my fault” April exclaimed.

“April Troost, you are under arrest for fraud. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can...” Sicheng started as he led April to the hotel room door, opening it before leading her out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	95. Case 13: Design - Part 9

After arresting April, Sicheng headed to Mark’s office after he heard the charges against her.

“You're only charging April with fraud and extortion? She's a walking crime spree” he exclaimed as he stood before the young prosecutor. Mark looked up at him and sighed.

“Hyung, my hands are tied. Three dozen of her victims don't even have a memory of being raped” he stated.

“What about the baby?” Sicheng exclaimed. Mark shook his head.

“No hospitals in the tri-state area even have a record that she delivered one” he replied. Sicheng huffed.

“Mark, trust me, she did. And then she sold it or she drowned it or who knows. But that evil bitch did something terrible with that baby” he shouted. Mark sighed before he stood to his feet, looking Sicheng in the eyes.

“Hyung, for all we know, it really was stillborn, and that's not a crime” he soothed. Sicheng shook his head, tears coming to his eyes.

“No, it's a con! April has been scamming us since day one. She never had any intention of jumping off that ledge” he shouted. Mark looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

“She played you, so now you're pissed” he mused. Sicheng threw his hands up in the air.

“Yes, I'm fucking pissed, but we still have to find that baby. Not to mention ruining Barclay Pallister's life” he exclaimed. Mark shook his head.

“That's not our fault. That's April's” he argued. Sicheng huffed.

“And knowing her, she will find someone else to blame” he declared.

~*~*~*~*~

“Her mother. April was raised without any moral values whatsoever” April’s defense attorney Cleo Conrad explained as she and April sat before Mark.

“So she's a sociopath” Mark deadpanned. 

“April's well aware of right and wrong, but she believes the law doesn't apply to her. That's how she was brought up” Cleo explained. Mark scoffed.

“My mother told me that storks bring babies and that Santa came down the chimney. But you know what, you grow up and you realize that some of the things your parents told you aren't true” he snapped. 

“Not if you're brainwashed. April Troost is like a suicide bomber, indoctrinated from birth. She lives her life by the lies her mother told her” Cleo stated. Mark shook his head.

“Ignorance of the law is no defense” he argued. Cleo smirked.

“Mental defect is. Your shrink will agree, April wasn't responsible for her actions” she replied.

~*~*~*~*~

After talking to Mark, April went to go talk to Shotaro so that he could see if she really was “brainwashed” or not.

“Mother had me running scams from the day I was born. I saved her thousands in hospital bills” April explained. Shotaro raised an eyebrow.

“She conned her doctor?” he asked. April smirked.

“She took him for everything he had. He was husband number two” she explained. Shotaro hummed before he waved his hand and summoned two cups of coffee, handing one to April.

“Do you find tricking people amusing?” he asked. April smiled slightly.

“Absolutely. Mother always said if you're too stupid to see the wool being pulled over your eyes, you deserve what you get” she explained. Shotaro hummed.

“So it's okay to rip people off, to break the law?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I know there are rules. But they don't apply to me” April answered. Shotaro nodded before he pulled out a pen and paper to take some notes.

“How did that go over in school?” he asked. April shook her head.

“I didn't go to school. Mother didn't want me picking up any bad habits” she explained. Shotaro raised an eyebrow.

“Like what?” he inquired.

“Feeling sorry for people. What mother called "getting soft." She taught me to stay alert. Be on the lookout” April replied. Shotaro hummed.

“For what?” he asked.

“There are always people who want to take advantage of me. That's why I have to take advantage of them first” April explained. Shotaro smiled slightly.

“Survival of the fittest” he mused. 

“Screw or get screwed. Mother drilled that into me. She taught me everything she knew about people. Men in particular. She went through six husbands and their fortunes” April explained.

“What about your father, Dr. McManus?” Shotaro asked.

“Husband number one. She left him right after I was born. He was brilliant but broke. I didn't meet him until a year ago. He was thrilled to find the daughter he never knew” April answered. Shotaro nodded slowly.

“And how did you feel?” he asked. 

“It was the opportunity of a lifetime. I needed a job, and he paid me well to bring him the best genetic material” April answered. Shotaro nodded again.

“Barclay Pallister” he stated. April nodded as Shotaro sighed.

“April, don't you think that he deserves to know where his baby is?” he asked. 

“Only if I get a sweet deal” April asked. Shotaro frowned.

“Why should you get a break?” he asked. April smirked.

“I'm too beautiful for prison” she replied.

~*~*~*~*~

After speaking with April, Lorraine was brought in to speak with Sicheng and Mark.

“I had no idea how sick she really is” Lorraine stated. 

“April fooled everybody. She's quite an actress” Sicheng mused. Lorraine huffed.

“I bailed her out, and this is the thanks I get. All of her problems are my fault. Can she do this? Can she tell all these lies in court?” she demanded.

“I can make sure the jury hears the truth. You can testify” Mark offered.

“No. Let her say what she wants about me. I'm on my way back to Florida tonight” Lorraine spat before she turned and walked out of the room, only to be greeted by April and Shotaro.

“Hi, mom” April greeted.

“How could you do this to your own mother?” Lorraine demanded. April scoffed.

“Oh, some mother. You led the cops right to my safe deposit box. Too bad the money wasn't there” she sneered. Lorraine shook her head.

“This is not about the money. Just tell them where the baby is” she ordered. 

“Are you kidding?” April replied. Lorraine looked at her in disgust.

“I'm through with you” she spat before she turned and walked out.

~*~*~*~*~

After the little cat fight, Mark went to go talk to Taeyong at the precinct.

“No way I'm letting April walk” Mark growled. Taeyong sighed.

“Well, if we don't give her some kind of plea, we may never find the baby” he mused. Mark crossed his arms.

“How do we know it's alive?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I'm sure of it” Shotaro started, making Mark look over at him.

“It's her only bargaining chip” he continued. 

“We checked out all the couples who had contracts to buy April's baby. None of them have the child” Sicheng called out as he and Yuta walked back into the precinct.

“Hotel clerk says she checked in alone. She was not pregnant. There are no leads off her LUDs. That baby could be anywhere. Black market in newborns? That's booming” Yuta added. Mark sighed.

“But is she crazy?” he asked, looking over at Shotaro who shook his head. 

“No. She's amoral. She knows what she's doing is wrong. The jury will see it as just another con job” he explained. Sicheng huffed.

“Take her to trial, you're never gonna find the kid” he grumbled.

“Wherever the baby is, it's better off than being with April” Yuta murmured. Jaehyun sighed.

“Unless she sold the kid to a pedophile” he mused, just as Barclay Pallister walked in.

“You have to find my baby” he begged, making everyone look over at him.

“Mr. Pallister” Taeyong greeted as Mark walked over to him.

“You must make April tell you where the baby is” Barclay ordered. Mark shook his head.

“She won't. Unless we let her off, and I can't do that” he stated. 

“You have to” Barclay argued. 

“She's a dangerous woman” Mark countered. Barclay glared at him.

“You owe me” he snarled. Mark looked at him before he sighed heavily and looked back at the others.

“Do we have any other leverage on her?” he asked. 

~*~*~*~*~

At Rikers Island, Sicheng and Donghyuck went to go talk to Dr. McManus about April.

“You're wrong about April. She's a sweet girl. If anyone's to blame, it's her mother. I never should've chosen Lorraine” he grumbled. Sicheng raised an eyebrow.

“For what?” he asked. 

“My first experiment. I was looking for the perfect woman. Bright, beautiful, accomplished. Lorraine was ideal. I married her, and we had April. She was a beautiful baby. Smart. 170 IQ” McManus explained. Donghyuck huffed.

“Great, but what happened to your experiment?” he demanded.

“I thought I'd picked the ultimate mate, but Lorraine wanted to be rich. I wasn't. I didn't see April till she found me last year. I was just so happy to have my daughter back” McManus explained.

“Your daughter's using you to scam rich and powerful men” Sicheng snarled. 

“She meant no harm. She was just trying to help me” McManus argued. Donghyuck raised an eyebrow.

“By claiming Barclay Pallister raped her and then having his child to prove it?” he exclaimed. 

“She knew it was wrong. And she came to me. And she said that she had to die to fix this mess she made” McManus explained. Donghyuck scoffed and rolled his eyes.

“Right, and you'd collect on her insurance” he sneered. McManus shook his head.

“No, no, I was, I was gonna give April all the money so she and the baby could start a new life” he answered. Sicheng huffed.

“Except that new life doesn't include the baby” he stated. McManus frowned.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“April doesn't have the child. And she won't tell us where it is” Sicheng explained. 

“She'll tell me” McManus assured.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	96. Case 13: Design - TO BE CONTINUED

“April, you're confused. You're not thinking about what's best for the baby” McManus stated as he sat in Mark’s office before April, who was standing before him.

“I'm not confused. I'm thinking about what's best for me. No one else will” April replied. 

“I will!” McManus exclaimed. April scoffed.

“Yeah, right. They offer you a deal if you got me to give up the kid?” she sneered. McManus shook his head.

“No, I'm just trying to help you” he argued. April frowned.

“Why?” she asked.

“I'm your father. I love you, April” McManus explained. April tsked.

“Love is for suckers. That baby's my ticket out of here” she stated before she looked at Mark and crossed her arms.

“I want my deal” she declared. Mark shook his head.

“I can't give you one” he replied. April smirked.

“Well, then I can't give you my baby” she replied. Mark narrowed his eyes at her as McManus turned to look at him.

“Please. Take this baby away from her before she destroys it” he begged. Mark huffed before he looked at April.

“Fine, you have your deal. No jail. Now, where's the baby?” he demanded. April said nothing before she walked over to a pen and pad, writing something down before picking up the pad and walking over to Mark, handing it to him.

“Nice doing business with you” she sneered before she continued walking; walking right out of the office. McManus squeezed his eyes shut as a single tear streamed down his cheek while Mark just sighed heavily.

~*~*~*~*~

As April walked out of Mark’s office, she was suddenly stopped by Sicheng.

“Lee let you off, didn't he?” he asked. April nodded.

“Yeah” she answered. Sicheng hummed.

“I’m glad” he murmured. April frowned.

“Why?” she asked. Sicheng snarled, eyes flashing pink.

“Because you don't deserve to be a mother. And I'm gonna make sure that you never see that child again” he hissed. April was quiet before she nodded.

“Good. Maybe the kid'll have a chance” she mused before she walked past Sicheng.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, at Grand Central Station, Lorraine was holding a baby and standing before a lady at the ticket booth.

“You poor thing. They stole your purse at the funeral?” the woman asked. Lorraine nodded.

“Yes. My credit cards, my ID, my cash. My daughter is dead, and I just want to get my grandbaby back to Florida” she explained. The woman nodded before she reached out and pulled out a voucher, holding it out to Lorraine.

“Well, here's a voucher for a train ticket to Miami” she stated. Lorraine smiled.

“Thank you” she thanked.

“You're not going anywhere” a voice boomed from behind them, making Lorraine turn to see Sicheng and Yuta walking over to them.

“Detectives” she greeted. Yuta shook his head.

“Oh, man, you are a piece of work” he sneered. Lorraine looked between them before she handed the baby over to Sicheng, who took it and carefully cradled it in his arms.

“Just curious. How did you track me down?” she asked. 

“Your daughter gave you up” Yuta explained.

“You two have been working together all along. That was quite a performance you gave at our squadroom” Sicheng added.

“Well, that's my girl. I taught her everything she knows” Lorraine stated. 

“Well, you won't be teaching that child a damn thing” Yuta snarled as Sicheng turned and walked away, leaving Yuta alone with Lorraine. Yuta then took a step forward, eyes flashing silver.

“I can't prove that you broke the law this time but, lady...I am gonna get you” he hissed. Lorraine just smiled before she turned and walked past them. Sicheng and Yuta watched her leave before Sicheng looked down at the little girl and gently stroked her cheek.

~*~*~*~*~

At the hospital, Sicheng was watching through the glass window as the baby was being checked by Sungchan and a nurse, just as Taeyong and Jaehyun walked over to him.

“Winwin. How's the baby?” Taeyong asked. Sicheng looked over at them and nodded.

“Sarah's fine” he assured before he growled.

“Not that April or her mother give a damn. I bet you they're in a bar right now laughing at us” he spat. Jaehyun sighed.

“Let it go” he soothed. Sicheng shook his head.

“I can't. They scammed everyone, and we just let them walk” he croaked.

“We got the baby” Taeyong reminded. Sicheng nodded.

“I know. But we haven't seen the last of them. They will never stop playing their sick games” he hissed, just as Sungchan walked out, holding baby Sarah.

“Okay, she's medically cleared. You can take her” he stated. Sicheng smiled before he reached out and took Sarah from Sungchan’s arms, cradling her. Sungchan nodded before he turned and walked off, leaving Sicheng, Taeyong, and Jaehyun alone again. Taeyong reached out and gently stroked Sarah’s back before he looked at Sicheng.

“Winwin, you gotta stop beating yourself up. The baby matters more” he reminded as Jaehyun nodded.

“Now she'll be loved” he added. Sicheng nodded before he sighed.

“If you’ll excuse me” he murmured, walking past his bosses, little Sarah held tightly in his arms.

~*~*~*~*~

After leaving the hospital, Yuta and Sicheng headed to Barclay Pallister’s apartment, handing Sarah off to him, since he was her father.

“I was up all night preparing her room. Because Sarah deserves the best” he explained as he cradled Sarah in his arms. Yuta smiled slightly.

“Well, she's certainly got it. You take care” he bid.

“Thank you” Barclay thanked. Yuta and Sicheng nodded, turning to head out when Barclay looked at them.

“I hear April's IQ is 170” he called out. Yuta and Sicheng stopped and turned to look back at him.

“That's what Dr. McManus says, yeah” Sicheng answered. Barclay nodded.

“Yes, I've read up on him. He's brilliant. And she has good genes on my side, too. She's perfect” he declared, looking down at Sarah. Sicheng and Yuta looked at him before they turned and walked out.

**_TO BE CONTINUED_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	97. Case 14: Flaw - Part 1

It was a bright and sunny day in Asamye as two men stood on a suspend scaffold, washing windows on an abandoned building.

“I moved from San Juan to get away from my mother-in-law. And you're letting yours move in?” one man asked, looking over at the other. The other man looked back at him, frowning.

“Who told you she was moving in?” he demanded. The first man smirked.

“Your wife. She gets what she wants” he replied. The second man huffed.

“I told her we'd talk about it” he stated.

“Four mouths to feed and now her mother's moving in” the first man exclaimed. 

“Only if I say it's okay” the second man reminded. The first man scoffed.

“Not if. When” he corrected, just as one of the sides of the suspend scaffold dropped, causing the second man to fall and slide towards the edge.

“Hey! You okay?” the first man called out, holding onto the scaffold for dear life. The second man nodded.

“I’m fine. He's not” he called out, looking over to see a man in the building with a bullet wound in the middle of his chest.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Detectives Zhong Chenle and Park Jisung arrived at the scene.

“How long has this building been empty?” Jisung asked, glancing back at the officer as he led them in.

“Uh, according to building security, about three months” the officer replied.

“Our squatter have a name?” Chenle inquired as he and Jisung walked into the empty room and over to where the body and CSU were.

“Yeah, Patrick Sullivan, 47. Lives in Murray Hill. Did us the favor of holding on to his wallet. It still has cash and cards” the officer stated. Jisung and Chenle hummed as they walked over to the body where the on-call medical examiner was kneeling next to the body.

“I'll give you three guesses” she stated.

“He drowned” Chenle guessed. The woman shot him a look before she stood to her feet, crossing her arms.

“Bullet to the chest at close range. No exit wounds. Bet you a bagel it's a hollow-point” she stated. Chenle hummed.

“You have a time for us?” he asked. 

“Combo of rigor and lividity puts time of death somewhere between 7:00 and midnight” the medical examiner stated. Jisung then noticed a cellphone in the man’s hand, so he pointed to it.

“Do you mind?” he asked. The woman shook her head, so he knelt down and carefully removed the phone from his hand before he looked at the screen.

“Number's still on the screen. Never got a chance to tap it” he murmured. Chenle raised an eyebrow.

“911?” he asked. Jisung shook his head.

“No, it's a local number. Guess he died calling for help” he replied as he stood to his feet. 

“Or someone killed him to keep him from making that call” Chenle suggested. Jisung shrugged.

“Only one way to find out” he replied before he tapped on the number and put the phone to his ear.

_“_ _Detective Dong”_ a voice replied on the other side, making Jisung’s eyes widen.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Police Detective First Grade Dong Sicheng arrived at the crime scene, looking over at Jisung and Chenle.

“So what’ve we got?” he asked. Jisung shook his head.

“I'm not sure. Now, you didn't get any strange phone calls last night? Any messages? Anything logged in as a missed call?” he asked. Sicheng shook his head.

“No. And you're sure that your vic was trying to call me?” he replied as Jisung motioned to the body in the corner of the room.

“If his life flashed before his eyes, you were the star player” Chenle deadpanned.

“And you say his name is Patrick Sullivan?” Sicheng asked. Jisung looked at him.

“Ring any bells?” he replied. Sicheng shook his head.

“None” he answered. 

“Maybe his face will” Chenle stated as Jisung knelt down and pulled back the tarp that was covering Patrick Sullivan’s face. Sicheng looked at him before he shook his head.

“Never seen him before in my life” he declared. Chenle huffed.

“Which begs the question...” he started.

“Why did he die trying to call me?” Sicheng finished.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	98. Case 14: Flaw - Part 2

After the crime scene, Sicheng headed back to the SVU office, where he met with Chenle, Jisung, Donghyuck, and the 2-7’s Lieutenant, Qian Kun.

“You check the SVU database?” Kun asked, looking at Sicheng and Donghyuck.

“BADS, NITRO, online complaints. Patrick Sullivan doesn't show up as a victim or a perp in any of our files” Donghyuck stated. Kun frowned before he looked over at Jisung.

“Walk me through this crime scene again” he instructed.

“Sixteenth floor of an empty office building. The victim was supine, with a bullet to the chest” Jisung stated. Donghyuck raised an eyebrow.

“Fluids?” he asked.

“Victim's blood, but something tells me that's not what you're asking” Chenle replied, looking over at him.

“He was alone and zipped up” Jisung answered. Kun frowned.

“Which doesn't sound like a sex crime” he mused. Sicheng nodded.

“Exactly. So why'd he try to call me?” he wondered. Jisung looked over at him.

“Just because he's not in your file doesn't mean he's not connected to a case” he reminded. Sicheng huffed.

“Good luck. I give out thousands of business cards a year. Victims, families, witnesses. I mean, it could be anybody” he replied. Chenle sighed and crossed his arms.

“Well, there is something else we should consider, hyung. Suppose this is not about a case. Suppose it's personal” he suggested.

~*~*~*~*~

“How long have you been renting to Mr. Sullivan?” Chenle asked as he and Jisung looked around Patrick Sullivan’s apartment. 

“You'll have to speak up. I'm a little hard of hearing” the building manager answered. Chenle glanced at Jisung, who was looking through Sullivan’s mail, before he looked at the manager.

“How long has Mr. Sullivan lived here?” he repeated. 

“Two years” the manager answered. Chenle nodded as he turned and walked away from him, walking over to the large pill of mail on the floor before the door.

“When was the last time you saw Mr. Sullivan?” he asked. The manager shook his head.

“I don't usually. He's got his own entrance. I didn't hear him coming and going” he explained.

“How many people are you renting to?” Chenle asked. The manager frowned.

“Just the one” he replied. Chenle hummed before he walked over to Jisung, showing him some of Sullivan’s mail.

“Then why is Social Security sending checks to five different individuals at this same address?” he hissed. Jisung raised an eyebrow before he showed Chenle a piece of mail.

“Hmm. Check this out. It's a receipt from a storage facility” he declared.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Chenle and Jisung headed to the storage facility, the security guard opening the storage unit for them.

“Okay. Let's see what Mr. Sullivan kept under lock and key” Chenle declared as the security guard handed him a pair of bolt cutters. He then walked over to one of the deep freezers and cut the lock on it before opening it up.

“Holy…shit” he whispered. Jisung walked over and the minute he saw what was in the freezer, his eyes widened. He wasn’t sure what he was going to find, but a dead, frozen body certainly wasn’t it.

~*~*~*~*~

“Five bodies. All elderly, all dead of apparently natural causes. But I'll know more in an hour or two” Yangyang stated as Chenle and Jisung walked into the morgue. Chenle huffed.

“Well, I don't think they're gonna turn into homicides during your lunch hour” he stated. Yangyang smirked as he searched through a stack of files before he found what he was looking for.

“To fit the bodies into the freezers, your guy had to double them over. Before I can open up the last three, they gotta thaw out” he explained. Jisung shook his head in disgust.

“Whatever happened to respecting your elders?” he grumbled as Yangyang walked over to the autopsy table where Patrick Sullivan’s body was lying.

“All right, your DOA, Patrick Sullivan. In order to locate the slug in his chest cavity, I ran a series of X-rays” he explained, motioning to the X-rays up on the light. Chenle and Jisung looked at the X-rays before Chenle frowned.

“He had a broken collar bone?” he asked. Yangyang nodded.

“Yeah. Along with four ribs, both arms, both legs, and his left foot. Based on re-calcification, I believe the breaks happened at different times over a series of years” he explained as he walked over to Sullivan’s body, Jisung and Chenle following him.

“What the fuck is up with this dude?” Jisung murmured, shaking his head as he looked at Sullivan’s body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	99. Case 14: Flaw - Part 3

“So, you're telling me Patrick Sullivan's a con man” Kun deadpanned as he looked at the X-rays while walking towards his office, Chenle and Jisung following him.

“Well, the man made a living off of cons, which explains the broken bones and the insurance fraud” Jisung explained.

“It's as old as Hammurabi. Guy's been doing it since he was a kid. You walk in front of a car, and bam! Make like it was an accident” Chenle added. Kun shook his head as he sat down in his chair behind his desk.

“That's a hell of a way to make a living” he grumbled. Chenle shrugged.

“I guess he ran out of bones and went in for the easy money” he replied as he looked over at Jisung. Kun then huffed.

“So, the bodies in the morgue match the names on the Social Security checks you found in Sullivan's apartment?” he asked. Jisung nodded.

“Yup. Uncle Sam thinks all five are alive and well and living in the same joint” he answered.

“Well, since all five of our seniors last resided at the same nursing home, we're gonna go there and check for Sullivan's playmate” Chenle added. Kun nodded.

“Good idea” he agreed.

~*~*~*~*~

At Walnut Ridge Nursing Home, Chenle and Jisung stood before the receptionist.

“Ona Schiller moved back in with her son and his family” the receptionist stated. Chenle huffed.

“Let me guess, in Murray Hill” he grumbled. 

“How about Joseph Huffman?” Jisung asked. The receptions hummed.

“Uh, says here that he transferred to another facility in August” she answered before she looked back at her computer and frowned.

“Oh, but that can't be right. He's listed at the same address” she murmured. Chenle and Jisung looked at each other before Chenle looked at the receptionist.

“It wasn't unusual to lose five patients in just a matter of months?” he asked. The receptionist chuckled and shook her head.

“Oh, not at all. Just because your kids like the tour doesn't mean you'll be happy here” she explained. Chenle and Jisung nodded.

“We're gonna wanna talk to the doctor who was overseeing the patients on that list” Chenle declared. The receptionist shook her head.

“Oh, doctors do weekly rounds. Nurses do the day-to-day. That's who you want to talk to. And, seems all five had Eduardo” she stated.

~*~*~*~*~

After talking to the receptionist, Chenle and Jisung went to go find Eduardo before taking him in for questioning.

“Patrick was murdered?” Eduardo asked as Jisung led him into the interrogation room, having him sit down.

“Mmhm. When did you two meet?” he replied as he sat down across from him while Chenle sat adjacent to him.

“Six months ago at a Laundromat. He said he'd buy me lunch if I spotted him enough to finish his whites” Eduardo explained.

“Did you happen to mention to Patrick that you work at Walnut Ridge?” Chenle asked. Eduardo sighed.

“I'm sure I did. He had this way of making you feel so important” he explained. Chenle nodded slowly.

“So, you and Patrick...” he started. Eduardo nodded.

“We were soul mates. We actually were gonna get a place together, but to pay my share I needed money” he explained. 

“So you scammed Social Security?” Jisung deadpanned. Eduardo shook his head.

“We weren't hurting anybody. We only picked the ones with no families” he explained. 

“What happened? A patient died, you'd call Sullivan and then what?” Chenle asked. 

“And I'd help him slip out the body and file the necessary paperwork” Eduardo answered. 

“So where's the money now?” Jisung asked. Eduardo shook his head.

“I never saw any of it. Patrick always made excuses, said they took a long time to pay out, but something else was wrong. Turns out the bastard was cheating on me” he spat. Chenle raised an eyebrow.

“How did you find this out?” he asked.

“I checked his cell phone while he was in the shower, got a name and Googled the guy. Some fancy jerk named Glass” Eduardo spat. 

~*~*~*~*~

After talking to Eduardo, Chenle and Jisung went to go pay a Mr. D. Glass a visit at his office.

“I thought I said to leave me alone” Glass grumbled from where he was lying on his red sofa. 

“D, they're detectives” the young woman explained as Chenle and Jisung held out their badages for him to see. Glass then let out a heavy sigh as the woman left while Jisung looked around.

“So what happened here?” he asked. Glass shook his head.

“Nothing I can't handle. Party got out of control” he answered as he sat up.

“Well, you guys got a warrant?” he asked. Jisung shook his head.

“Not yet. Just a few questions” he answered. Glass huffed.

“Everybody's got questions for D. Who is it this time? Vykarius? T-Lo? Don Toine?” he sneered. Chenle huffed.

“No, none of them” he stated before he looked over at Jisung.

“Looks like Mr. Glass here has cornered the market on hip-hop investors” he mused. Glass smirked.

“All my clients are clean and I'm under no legal obligation to tell you otherwise” he replied. Jisung motioned to the office, raising an eyebrow.

“Was it some of your clients who redecorated your place for you?” he asked. Glass looked at him.

“You know the drill. You wanna seize funds, get a warrant, yo” he snapped. Chenle huffed and rolled his eyes as he looked at Glass.

“We're not here to seize funds, yet, yo. We're here about Patrick Sullivan” he deadpanned as Jisung motioned to him.

“It seems you two have a lot of late-night phone conversations” he mused. Glass huffed as he pushed himself up off the couch and walked around his trashed office.

“Yeah, well, you drop half a mill of a client's money into someone's hedge fund, you stay in touch. What about it?” he demanded. Jisung sighed.

“Well, we were just wondering if you were aware of Mr. Sullivan's track record for fraud, deceit, extortion?” he asked. Glass shook his head.

“Everything on my end was completely legit” he growled. Chenle smirked.

“Well, all right then, MC Vanilla. You wouldn't mind telling us where you were on Tuesday night?” he asked. Glass looked at him with wide eyes before he shook his head.

“Oh, man. Why you gotta be trippin', yo? I can't be a witness. It'll get me killed” he murmured. Chenle and Jisung looked at one another before Chenle raised an eyebrow.

“Witness to what?” he asked. Glass looked at them, his eyes a little teary and glassy.

“I saw it go down. I saw Sullivan get shot” he admitted. Chenle and Jisung’s eyes widened as they looked at each other again before looking back at Glass.

~*~*~*~*~

Chenle and Jisung then took Glass to the abandoned building, Glass stepping into the crime scene. He then looked around, frowning before he looked back at Chenle and Jisung.

“There were phones and...and computers and bad art on the walls” he explained. Chenle raised an eyebrow.

“Sullivan was here waiting?” he asked. Glass nodded.

“Alive and kickin'. I mean, the girl was already here” he answered. Jisung frowned.

“What girl?” he asked. 

“Some blonde. Hot. She had paper for Sullivan, too” Glass explained before he shook his head.

“Oh, man, this is whack” he breathed. Chenle glanced over at Jisung before he looked at Glass.

“How much?” he asked. 

“The buy-in was 500 G's” Glass answered. Jisung hummed.

“Did you get introduced to the blonde?” he inquired. Glass glared at him.

“You know, I wasn't looking to make new friends. Her clients were based overseas. The phone rang once. She spoke Japanese” he snapped. Jisung nodded slowly.

“Anyway, let me guess, the whole thing went south during the handoff” he inferred.

“We had both just given Sullivan our share when the door busts in. It was some woman. Said she was an SEC agent. Sullivan went ballistic. Started screaming about how he “wasn't gonna go down like that”. He pulled a gun. The agent pulled hers and she shot him” Glass explained. Chenle and Jisung looked at each other, frowning, before Chenle crossed his ams.

“That didn't sound right. I mean, SEC don't carry firearms. Should have been FBI” he stated. Glass huffed.

“Yeah, you know, well, clearly nobody told her that. Either way, she was on to the scam. Sullivan was dead. The girl ran out. I wasn't about to stick around. You guys are gonna help me get my money back, right?” he asked. Chenle and Jisung were quiet before Chenle looked over at Jisung.

“Sounds to me like Mr. Sullivan played with these friends before” he murmured. Glass frowned.

“Wait, wait, wait, wait. What's he talkin' about?” he demanded, pointing to Chenle. Jisung looked at him before he sighed.

“It was a con, man. It's probable that everybody in the room was in on it except for you” he explained. Glass looked at them before he shook his head.

“The only reason I'm talking to you guys is 'cause I need to get my money back. You saw my office. That was over a market correction. I'm a dead man” he declared. Chenle sighed.

“All right, now, this woman, the shooter, what did she look like?” he asked. 

~*~*~*~*~

Chenle and Jisung then took Glass to the SVU precinct to show him some photos.

“That's the blonde” Glass stated, pointing to a photo of April before pointing to a photo of Lorraine.

“That's the brunette. That's the shooter. That’s them” he declared.

~*~*~*~*~

“A real piece of work. That's Lorraine Dillon. The blonde is April Troost, her daughter. Twenty-five, IQ off the charts, but good luck trying to find a heartbeat” Sicheng grumbled as he and Chenle walked through the 2-7 precinct. 

“You had them on racketeering?” Chenle asked, raising an eyebrow. Sicheng nodded.

“And they walked. Not this time” he growled. Chenle looked at him with wide eyes before he reached out and grabbed Sicheng’s arm.

“Hyung, you realize this is a long shot” he stated. Sicheng stopped and looked at him.

“Sullivan died trying to call me. You were right. This was personal” he declared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	100. Case 14: Flaw - Part 4

A little while later, Sicheng led Jisung and Chenle to an apartment building, heading to a specific apartment. He then knocked on the door, stepping back as the door opened to reveal Lorraine Dillon.

“Thought you moved back to Florida” Sicheng stated. Lorraine smirked.

“Plans change” she replied.

“Who’s that?” a voice called from inside. Lorraine then opened the door wider as April walked towards the door. When she saw Sicheng, she smirked.

“Well, hello, Detective Dong. Did you miss us?” she asked. 

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the precinct, Lorraine was placed into an interrogation room.

“Patrick Sullivan? Talk about Irish. Never heard of him” she stated. Chenle hummed as he sat down across from her.

“He seems to have that effect on women” he replied before he noticed Lorraine’s face.

“What happened to your face?” he asked. Lorraine smiled.

“Oh, would you believe a sailing accident?” she replied. Chenle chuffed before he shook his head.

“No, I wouldn't” he stated. Lorraine hummed.

“Too bad. It's the truth” she declared. Chenle scoffed.

“From what I know, you wouldn't know the truth if it handed you a business card” he sneered. Lorraine shook her head.

“You've been spending too much time with Detective Dong” she stated. Chenle huffed.

“He had you on fraud and extortion and you walked. I'm very impressed” he replied. Lorraine smiled and shook her head.

“He had a creative imagination but no proof” she explained. Chenle chuckled.

“Well, this is different. We have an eyewitness” he declared. Lorraine looked at him before she smiled.

“Wow, you have a great face” she mused, reaching out to touch Chenle's cheek. Chenle laughed fakely before he slapped her hand away.

“Nice try, lady. I already have a boyfriend. And you’re way older than me. Now, where were you Tuesday night?” he asked, looking Lorraine in the eyes. 

“At home with my daughter” Lorraine replied.

~*~*~*~*~

“I’m bored” April grumbled as she leaned against the wall in another interrogation room.

“I feel your pain. You're stuck here with me when you could be out there blowing that $500,000 you scammed off of David Glass” Jisung replied, raising an eyebrow at her. April shook her head.

“I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about” she stated. Jisung huffed.

“He picked you out of a photo array” he stated. April shrugged.

“A lot of girls look like me” she replied. Jisung shook his head.

“No, no, they don't. We got you for fraud. It's only a matter of time before we add murder” he declared. April huffed.

“We’ll see” she replied. Jisung looked at her and shook his head.

“You are something else” he murmured. April smiled.

“Thank you” she replied, just as the door opened and April’s lawyer, Nick Margolis, walked in. 

“Hi, this stops now” he declared, holding up a DVD.

~*~*~*~*~

“Patrick Sullivan” Kun deadpanned as he watched the tape in his office, ADA Na Jaemin watching as well. Margolis nodded.

“Two hours after you say he was shot” he agreed before he smirked.

“The guy's a real sport, isn't he? Your eyewitness claims he saw Lorraine Dillon shoot Patrick Sullivan at 8:00. So, uh, how was Mr. Sullivan buying rounds at the Foxhead Bar at 10:00?” he asked. Kun tsked.

“Time codes mean nothing. For all we know this could have been taped three weeks ago” he stated. Margolis smirked.

“Could have been, but wasn't. The game went into extra innings that night” he explained. Kun groaned before he looked over at Jaemin, who sighed.

“Go to the bar and check it out. And contact the league. Verify what time the game ended” he instructed.

~*~*~*~*~

After getting their orders, Chenle and Jisung headed to the Foxhead Bar to talk to one of he bartenders who was working that night.

“Yeah. He was in here three nights ago. A real sweet-talker” the bartender explained. Chenle hummed.

“On the tape, Sullivan was buying drinks for the house. Did he happen to say what he was celebrating?” he asked. The bartender shook her head.

“Truth is I stopped listening. I've perfected the smile and pour” she explained. Jisung nodded.

“Did he leave alone?” he inquired. 

“Well, there was talk about taking the party back to his hotel” the bartender explained. Chenle raised an eyebrow.

“Did he say where he was staying?” he inquired. The bartender nodded.

“The Beaumont. But, when he checked the time, he said he had somewhere to be and he bolted” she answered.

~*~*~*~*~

At the Beaumont, Chenle handed Lorraine and April’s photos to the manager as they looked around Sullivan’s hotel room.

“Have you ever seen either of these two women?” he asked. 

“Both were guests of Mr. Sullivan on separate occasions” the manager replied. 

“Were either of them here Tuesday night?” Chenle inquired. The manager looked at the photos before he shook his head.

“I couldn't say for certain” he replied. Jisung hummed.

“Do you have surveillance cameras in this place?” he asked. The manager shook his head.

“No. Which is precisely why I can't leave the front desk unattended. Let me know if you need any further assistance” he stated before he turned and headed out of the room.

“Alright, then. Thank you” Chenle called out as Jisung looked at him.

“So we can place Sullivan here with Lorraine and April” he declared. Chenle hummed.

“We can have these glasses tested for prints” he mused as he pointed to the wine glasses by the window before he walked over to the trash can and looked inside before picking it up to show Jisung.

“And these for DNA” he declared. Jisung took one look inside before he made a face and recoiled.

“That’s fucking disgusting” he gagged as Chenle put the trashcan down.

“That's a lot of Trojans” he continued. Chenle huffed.

“I guess he did more than just talk” he mused as Jisung began to look through Sullivan’s duffle bag.

“You know, if Glass saw Lorraine pull the trigger at 8:00, what was Sullivan doing back here gettin' busy after 10:00?” he asked, walking over to stand by Jisung. Jisung was quiet before he found a white shirt stained with what looked like dried blood.

“My guess is showering. He must have worn this when the con went down” he mused as he continued to search the shirt before he found something. 

“Check it” he declared, handing Chenle a little tube. Chenle smiled slightly.

“Ah. They used squibs” he murmured. Jisung frowned.

“So if they pulled it off, why'd he go back to the scene?” he asked. Chenle hummed.

“To strike the set. That would explain why it was empty when we found him” he mused. Jisung nodded slowly in understanding.

“So Lorraine and April were the only ones who knew where he'd be. So maybe the ladies figured a 50-50 split is better than a three-way, so they killed him for his share” he deduced. Chenle hummed and shook his head.

“I don't know. The beauty of an elaborate con is there's never, ever a body” he explained. Jisung huffed.

“So what are you thinking, a third party?” he asked, looking over at him.

“I'm thinking maybe Sullivan opened up his big mouth to somebody who wanted a piece of the action” Chenle replied as Jisung’s phone rang. Jisung’s eyes widened and he quickly pulled out his phone, answering it.

“Hello?” he answered. He listened for a while before he let out a groan.

“Oh, you've gotta be kidding me” he grumbled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	101. Case 14: Flaw - Part 5

A little while later, Jisung and Chenle arrived at David Glass’s office where officers were standing around Glass’s body, which was hanging from the ceiling. Both men looked up at him, sighing, before they headed over to Glass’s secretary, Amy.

“Hey, Amy. What happened?” Jisung asked. Amy looked up at them before she huffed.

“He said to hold his calls and then he hugged me. D doesn't hug. I should have known” she grumbled. Chenle crossed his arms.

“Who trashed his office yesterday?” he asked. 

“Vykarius” Amy answered. Jisung sighed.

“We're going to need a phone number on him” he stated. Amy nodded.

“Sure. But he had nothing to do with this. He left for Barbados last night. _I_ booked his jet” she stated before she sighed.

“Someone should call D's family” she murmured, pushing herself to her feet before walking out of the room. Chenle and Jisung watched her leave before they walked over to the medical examiner that was on the scene.

“Hey, Miss Flax. Any chance of this playing like a homicide?” Jisung asked as Glass was carefully taken down from where he was hanging by the transporters. Flax shook her head.

“Locked door, no sign of a struggle. I'm calling it like I see it. Suicide” she declared. Chenle huffed.

“So much for the eyewitness” he grumbled before he and Jisung turned and walked out of the office.

~*~*~*~*~

“So you're telling me that they're gonna walk” Sicheng exclaimed as he stood before Jaemin. Jaemin sighed.

“Unless they committed another crime while they've been under lock and key, my hands are tied. We've got nothing to hold them on” he explained. Sicheng ran a hand through his hair.

“This is a joke” he murmured. Jaemin shook his head.

“Hyung, the videotape killed the murder charge. David Glass only witnessed the scam” he started.

“Believe me, they did it. And if they didn't, they paid somebody else to do it” Sicheng snapped, interrupting him. Jaemin raised an eyebrow.

“You got proof? Or just a grudge?” he asked. Sicheng snarled at him.

“You and me both know that they're dirty. Can't you hold them on fraud?” he exclaimed. Jaemin narrowed his eyes at him.

“With Glass dead, his ID is inadmissible. Without the money, there is no proof of fraud” he snapped. Sicheng was quiet before a thought hit him.

“We picked up April and Lorraine at their apartment two days after the murder. Maybe they didn't have a chance to move the money” he mused.

~*~*~*~*~

At April and Lorraine’s apartment, Jisung, Chenle, and Sicheng were tearing the place apartment.

“Divorce isn't as lucrative as it used to be” Sicheng mused. Jisung huffed.

“Yeah, that explains why April and Lorraine are still in the game” he mused. Sicheng hummed before he headed off farther in the apartment when he noticed something.

“Jisung” he called out, making Jisung, who was searching the couch, look up.

“Yeah?” he called back.

“What caliber was the gun used to shoot Sullivan?” Sicheng asked. 

“It's a .38” Chenle called out. Sicheng then walked out of the backroom, holding a .38 on a pencil.

“Kind of like this one?” he asked, just as April, Lorraine, and Margolis walked into the apartment.

“And what, may I ask, are you doing?” Margolis demanded. Sicheng smirked as he held up the gun to April and Lorraine.

“Well, as soon as ballistics comes back on this gun, I'll be arresting your clients for the murder of Patrick Sullivan” he declared. April and Lorraine looked at him with wide eyes before April shook her head.

“Oh, my God” she breathed as Margolis looked over at them.

“Say nothing” he ordered as Lorraine looked at April.

“Let me take care of it” she whispered before she turned to look at Sicheng.

“She had nothing to do with it” she declared. Both Margolis and April looked at her.

“Lorraine, stop talking” Margolis ordered as April shook her head.

“Mom, no!” she exclaimed. Lorraine looked over at her and smiled softly.

“April…” she started as April shook her head.

“No. No, no, no, no. Mom...” she begged as Lorraine reached up and stroked her cheek.

“It's okay” she soothed before she stepped in front of April.

“I did it. I killed Patrick. It was self-defense” she declared. 

~*~*~*~*~

At the DA’s office, EADA Lee Jeno stood before DA Huang Renjun’s desk, looking at his desk.

“According to Lorraine's grand jury testimony, it wasn't a new relationship. She and Sullivan had an affair 10 years ago” Jeno explained. Renjun hummed.

“That was then. This is now. Where does the self-defense claim come in?” he asked, crossing his arms. 

“Lorraine claims that the night of the murder, April came to her and revealed that Patrick Sullivan had molested her when she was 14 years old. Lorraine confronted Sullivan, a verbal argument turned physical...” Jeno started. Renjun huffed.

“A mother hen protects her chick from the very fox she invited into the henhouse. Kind of story the jury just loves” he grumbled. 

“Lorraine Dillon murdered Patrick Sullivan for his portion of the extortion money. All we have to do is prove it” Jeno declared, just as Jaemin walked into Renjun’s office.

“It's gonna be an uphill battle” he stated, holding up a tri-folded piece of paper.

“A motion to exclude evidence of fraud” he declared. 

~*~*~*~*~

In the chambers of Judge Madeline Drake, Jeno, Margolis, and Jaemin stood before Judge Drake.

“We can produce a paper trail on Mr. Glass' end, fabricated account statements and prospectuses which were generated by Mr. Sullivan and provide a direct link” Jeno declared. Margolis looked over at him and frowned.

“To who? Patrick Sullivan or my client?” he demanded. Jeno looked over at him.

“Your client and Patrick Sullivan were running this scam together” he snapped. Margolis scoffed.

“According to Mr. Glass, who unfortunately won't be able to take the stand” he replied.

“Let's show a little respect for the deceased, shall we?” Judge Drake suggested. Margolis huffed.

“Even if the People could prove that Glass and Sullivan were ripping off their clients, their paper trail doesn't lead anywhere near Lorraine Dillon” he declared. 

“We intend to show that Ms. Dillion murdered Patrick Sullivan so as to claim the spoils of their scheme herself. Documents go to motive” Jeno explained.

“And their prejudicial effect outweighs their probative value. It does not withstand the balancing test” Margolis argued, making Judge Drake look over at him.

“You've made your point, Mr. Margolis. Multiple times” she stated before she looked at Jeno.

“Mr. Lee, unless you can provide more of a link, documents that reference Ms. Dillion directly, an eyewitness, I won't allow evidence of fraud in at trial” she declared.

~*~*~*~*~

“We still have the gun, which ballistics confirms was the murder weapon” Jaemin stated as he and Jeno left Judge Drake’s office. Jeno shook his head.

“That doesn't prove fraud. And if we can't provide a compelling motive for why Lorraine killed Sullivan...” he started.

“All the jury hears is her self-defense sob story” Jaemin finished. Jeno huffed.

“But to tell it, she's going to have to testify” he reminded. Jaemin looked over at him.

“You think Margolis will risk putting her on the stand?” he asked. Jeno shrugged.

“Lorraine's gift is her power of persuasion. She's admitted to pulling the trigger, but they have no evidence that it was done in self-defense. Her only chance is on the stand, convincing a jury that she was justified in shooting Patrick Sullivan” he explained. Jaemin smirked.

“If she does that, we can use her as an eyewitness to the fraud” he deduced. Jeno nodded.

“She’s our way in” he agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	102. Case 14: Flaw - Part 6

“It was the greatest mistake of my life. I was married, when I met Patrick, to a man who doted on me, loved my daughter as his own” Lorraine explained on the stand the next day in the Supreme Court. 

“Yet you didn't leave your husband?” Margolis asked. 

“I've made one promise in my life that I've never broken. To always do what's best for my child. April was only 14 at the time and she needed a home, a family” Lorraine explained. Margolis nodded slowly.

“You ended your relationship with Mr. Sullivan” he stated. Lorraine nodded in agreement.

“I didn't see him again for 10 years” she explained. Margolis hummed.

“And, when your paths crossed again, things were different?” he asked. Lorraine nodded.

“Right. April was grown. I was single” she explained. 

“Mr. Sullivan asked you to marry him. What kept you from saying yes?” Margolis asked. Lorraine was quiet before she looked at him.

“My daughter” she replied. Margolis was quiet before he stepped forward.

“Ms. Dillion, what did April say?” he asked. Lorraine was quiet before she took a deep breath.

“That Patrick had molested her. That man raped my baby when she was 14 years old” she growled. Margolis raised an eyebrow.

“You confronted Mr. Sullivan?” he asked. Lorraine nodded.

“April begged me not to. I was just so stupid that I thought he might have some kind of an explanation. Instead, he admitted it. He said that looking at April now was like looking at me when we first met. I lost it. I snapped; and I hit him. And he hit me back” she replied. Margolis nodded before he walked over to his bench and picked up a photo.

“I'd ask to show what's been previously marked as People's 37” he asked, holding up the photo to Judge Drake, who nodded.

“You may publish it” she replied. Margolis nodded before he walked over to the jury and handed one of the jurors the photo that showed the bruise on Lorraine face. He then turned to Lorraine.

“Now, I know how painful this is for you, but can you tell us what happened next?” he asked. Lorraine nodded.

“Yes. I was on the ground. His hands were around my neck like this” she started, placing her hands around her neck.

“And I saw the gun. He was going to kill me. All I thought about in that instant was my little girl. The next thing I knew, Patrick was dead and I was holding his gun” she continued. Margolis was quiet before he glanced over at Jeno before heading back to his bench. Jeno then sighed before he stood to his feet and looked at Lorraine.

“Aside from being in love with Mr. Sullivan, weren't you also business partners?” he asked. Lorraine shook her head.

“Absolutely not” she replied. Jeno then slowly walked towards the witness stand.

“On the night of the murder, you, Mr. Sullivan and your daughter, April Troost, were involved in an illegal business transaction, isn't that correct?” he asked, just as Margolis stood to his feet.

“Objection! May we approach?” he asked. Jeno rolled his eyes before he and Margolis walked forward to stand before Judge Drake’s bench.

“Mr. Lee's line of questioning is in direct violation of your ruling excluding evidence of fraud” Margolis snapped. Jeno huffed.

“The ruling specifically calls for documents or an eyewitness to allow the fraud in” he reminded. Margolis looked over at him.

“Well, you haven't provided either” he snapped. Jeno smirked.

“You have. I plan to use your client as an eyewitness to the fraud” he declared. Margolis looked at him with wide eyes before he looked over at Judge Drake.

“Your Honor?” he asked. Judge Drake was quiet before she looked at him.

“It's fair game. You chose to put Ms. Dillion on the stand; Mr. Lee has the right to cross-examine her” she stated. Margolis growled and walked back to his bench as Jeno looked at Lorraine again.

“You had no idea that you were about to marry a con artist who supported himself by scamming insurance companies and stealing Social Security checks from the elderly?” he asked. Lorraine huffed.

“No, I didn't. I only care about what he did to my daughter” she stated. Jeno raised an eyebrow.

“Isn't your story about sexual misconduct nothing more than an attempt to distract from the fact that the three of you conspired to extort $500,000 from a Mr. David Glass?” he asked. Lorraine shook her head.

“I don't even know who that is” she stated.

“He was a money manager who entrusted Mr. Sullivan with half a million dollars on the night you shot him. Mr. Sullivan is dead, the money hasn't been found. Wouldn't you say that's quite a coincidence?” Jeno asked. 

“Objection. Badgering” Margolis called out.

“Sustained” Judge Drake stated.

“He hurt a lot of people. But I didn't know them” Lorraine assured. Jeno then crossed his arms.

“Isn't it true that you wanted the money from the scam for yourself? That's why you shot Mr. Sullivan, isn't it?” he asked. Lorraine narrowed her eyes.

“I shot _him_ because he was going to shoot _me_. He hurt my child and he was gonna kill me” she growled. Jeno looked at her before he hummed before he turned and looked at the jury.

~*~*~*~*~

“So one or two of the jurors won't wanna have you at our table for Sunday dinner. What really matters is whether they believed Lorraine Dillon” Jaemin stated as he and Jeno left the court house. Jeno huffed.

“A juror may hear the facts, but he'll act on emotion” he grumbled. Jaemin shook his head.

“You had to show there was more to the story. You didn't have a choice” he argued. Jeno hummed.

“Maybe not, but I have the common sense not to make the same mistake twice” he declared before he stopped and looked at Jaemin.

“You'll take April's cross” he instructed. Jaemin stopped and looked at him with wide eyes.

“What?!” he exclaimed. Jeno motioned to him.

“You said it yourself. I lost likability points with the jury. They'll see anything I do as an attack” he explained. Jaemin huffed and crossed his arms.

“And what makes you think I’ll do any better?” he asked. Jeno smiled.

“Because you’re my ADA. And I only work with the best” he replied. Jaemin blushed before he huffed.

“Fine” he murmured. Jeno grinned and leaned over, placing a kiss on Jaemin’s cheek.

“You’re gonna do great” he assured.

~*~*~*~*~

“How long did the sexual abuse go on?” Margolis asked as he stood before April, who was on the stand.

“A little more than a year” April answered. Margolis frowned.

“Why didn't you tell anyone? If not your mother, a friend, a teacher?” he asked. April sighed.

“I was 14. If an adult told you not to say something, you didn't” she explained. Margolis hummed.

“And yet, you knew it was wrong?” he asked. April was quiet before she glanced over at Lorraine.

“I knew my mother was happy. How could I take that away from her?” she replied. Margolis then raised an eyebrow.

“So, why tell her now?” he asked. 

“She and Patrick were talking about having children. I couldn't let another little girl go through what he did to me” April explained. Margolis nodded slowly.

“What was your mother's reaction when you finally did tell her?” he inquired. April smiled slightly.

“She held me. You have no idea how good it felt to finally tell her the truth and know that she still loves me” she explained. Margolis nodded before he turned and headed back to his bench as Jaemin glanced over at Jeno before he stood to his feet.

“The man who haunted your childhood reappears in your life and threatens to stay. That must have been horrifying” he mused. April nodded.

“It was” she agreed. Jaemin then crossed his arms.

“Your mother testified that you begged her not to confront Mr. Sullivan. Is that what happened?” he asked, tilting his head to the side. 

“I thought he might hurt her, and he did. You saw those pictures. He was a violent man” April explained. Jaemin hummed and nodded slowly.

“Then why did you go to his hotel room alone?” he asked, looking at her. April huffed.

“I thought I could reason with him. I begged him to stay out of our lives” she explained. Jaemin frowned.

“Why didn't you call the police?” he asked. April shook her head.

“What could I tell them?” she replied. Jaemin huffed.

“That Mr. Sullivan had molested you. That your mother was about to face him alone. That he had a propensity for violence. But you didn't call anyone, did you?” he sneered. April looked at him with wide eyes.

“I tried to stop her” she argued. Jaemin scoffed.

“Isn't the real reason you didn't call the police because you knew Mr. Sullivan wasn't actually a threat?” he demanded. April’s eyes widened.

“Of course he was! My mother killed him to try to save her own life” she exclaimed. Jaemin raised an eyebrow.

“Really? When you confronted Mr. Sullivan in his hotel room about his sexual assault, did he attack you?” he asked. April shook her head.

“No” she replied. 

“Then why, when your mother faced him with the very same information, would he try to kill her?” Jaemin growled, making Margolis shoot to his feet.

“Objection. Speculation” he called out.

“Sustained” Judge Drake replied. Jaemin said nothing before he looked April in the eyes.

“Mr. Sullivan never molested you, did he?” he demanded. April shook her head.

“I don't know what to say” she replied. Jaemin huffed.

“Just answer the question, Ms. Troost” he ordered. April was quiet before she took a deep breath, looking at Jaemin.

“Patrick Sullivan and I were lovers” she declared, making Lorraine sit up straight in her chair as she looked at April in shock; Jeno, Jaemin, and Margolis looking at her in shock as well.

“April! What are you doing?” she demanded.

“Ms. Dillion!” Judge Drake exclaimed as April looked over at Lorraine.

“I'm so sorry, Mom. I can't lie for you anymore” she stated. Jaemin blinked, head reeling from what just happen before he cleared his throat.

“So, Mr. Sullivan didn't molest you?” he asked. April shook her head, wiping her teary eyes.

“It was consensual. It was always consensual” she explained, making Margolis stand to his feet.

“Your Honor, I have to object” he started.

“Overruled” Judge Drake interrupted. 

“Did your mother know about the affair?” Jaemin asked, looking at April, who nodded.

“Patrick told her that night. That's why she shot him” she explained, making Lorraine shoot to her feet this time.

“That's not true!” she exclaimed.

“Mr. Margolis, control your client” Judge Drake ordered.

“She killed Patrick out of jealousy” April explained. Jaemin hummed.

“Whose idea was the molestation claim?” he inquired. April motioned to Lorraine.

“My mother's. She came home that night. She told me what she'd done. She was acting crazy. She was saying things about Patrick; things that never happened. Then she made me say them back, over and over. And the bruises on her face? She told me to hit her. I didn't want to, but she said I had to. She said it would help with the story” she explained. Jaemin frowned.

“You lied to protect the woman who killed the man you loved?” he asked. April shrugged.

“She's my mother. What was I supposed to do?” she replied, making Lorraine shoot to her feet.

“Stop!” she exclaimed, making Judge Drake bang her gavel down.

“April, how could you do this?” Lorraine demanded.

“Ms. Dillion, sit down!” Judge Drake ordered. Lorraine shook her head.

“After everything I've done for you” she growled as Judge Drake huffed.

“That's it! Officer, remove the jury. We will reconvene tomorrow when everyone has a hold of themselves” she declared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	103. Case 14: Flaw - CASE CLOSED

“Can't you see that she's lying to you?” Lorraine exclaimed as she and Margolis met with Jeno in a private interrogation room.

“You've got the wrong one, Jeno” Margolis added. Jeno smirked as he sat before them.

“I've got your client's confession and a clear motive. Tell me otherwise” he instructed. Lorraine was quiet before she looked over at Margolis, who nodded. Lorraine then sighed before she sat down before Jeno.

“April came home that night and told me that she'd killed Patrick” she explained. Jeno raised an eyebrow.

“What was _her_ motive?” he asked. 

“She said that he had molested her” Lorraine answered before she shook her head.

“I wouldn't make up something like that” she assured. Jeno huffed.

“A compelling story. Why didn't you let April tell it at her own trial?” he asked. Lorraine sighed.

“Because I feel responsible. I brought Patrick into our lives. Mr. Lee, April knew that I would lie for her. She played on my greatest weakness” she explained. Jeno frowned.

“What’s that?” he asked. 

“My love for her” Lorraine answered. Jeno hummed as Margolis looked at him.

“What can you give us?” he asked. 

“She agrees to testify to the fraud, she tells me where the money is, and we arrest April

this afternoon” Jeno answered. Margolis shook his head.

“Now, I can't, in good conscience hand you the rope to hang my client. You'd have Lorraine on murder and fraud” he stated. Jeno shook his head.

“Not if she gives me tangible proof that it was April who pulled the trigger” he replied. Lorraine looked at him before she shook his head.

“I don't have any” she replied. Jeno hummed before he pushed himself to his feet and walked over to the door.

“Come on, Jeno. Today was nothing more than a lot of Sturm and Drang. The jury's not going for the fraud motive, and the self-defense claim is still compelling. Man two” Margolis called out. Jeno paused and looked back at him.

“Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice...no deal” he declared before he turned and walked out.

~*~*~*~*~

At the next trial hearing, Judge Drake looked over at the jury.

“On the charge of Murder in the Second Degree, how do you find?” she asked. 

“We find the defendant guilty” one of the jurors replied. Sicheng, Jeno, and Jaemin all watched as Lorraine was being led away before Sicheng sighed. After the trial, he headed out of the court, only to find Jeno and Jaemin waiting for him. 

“You don't look satisfied” Jaemin called out. Sicheng huffed.

“Are you?” he asked as they headed down the courthouse stairs. Jeno shrugged.

“I think we got the right verdict” he replied. Sicheng shook his head.

“That gun that we found in the apartment. What if it's April's?” he asked. Jaemin frowned.

“But Lorraine took the blame” he argued. 

“Until April turned on her in court” Sicheng reminded. Jeno shook his head.

“She was gasping for air. I like to think I've been doing this long enough to tell the difference between the truth and a lie” he grumbled. Sicheng huffed.

“Believe me, so would I. But April still managed to fool me” he stated. Jaemin sighed.

“I don’t mean to be rude, hyung, but that’s a fact that could be affecting your judgment. You could be too close on this one” he suggested, making Sicheng stop and look at them.

“Close enough to know we might've just been conned. That verdict put 500 grand in April's pocket” he deadpanned. Jeno and Jaemin looked at him before Jeno sighed.

“Hyung, do you really think April killed Sullivan?” he asked. Sicheng huffed.

“At the very least, I think she was an accomplice” he replied. Jeno huffed.

“So, tail April until she goes for the money” he instructed. Sicheng shook his head.

“She'll wait till we look the other direction and slip off” he replied before a thought hit him.

“April ran away when she was 14, maybe to the same place she'd hide the money” he murmured. Jaemin raised an eyebrow.

“Well, who else was in their lives then?” he asked. 

~*~*~*~*~

“Our marriage was a sham from the start. Lorraine wanted my money, and I was foolish enough to want her” Lorraine’s ex-husband Paul explained as Jisung and Chenle stood before him.

“Well, what about April?” Jisung asked. Paul looked over at him before he headed over to one of his law chairs by the pool.

“April? She was a magnificent child. She was not only beautiful, but clever. Lorraine saw her as a threat” he explained. Chenle raised an eyebrow.

“Is that why April ran away?” he asked. Paul shook his head.

“She didn't run away. She was sent. By me” he explained. Jisung and Chenle looked at one another before Chenle frowned.

“Why?” he asked. Paul shrugged, as if it was obvious.

“April was pregnant” he stated. Jisung and Chenle’s eyes widened.

“April was 14” Jisung exclaimed. Paul huffed.

“The last thing in the world I wanted was for Lorraine to ruin another child's life, so I sent her up to this place in Glens Falls. They looked after her during her pregnancy and then arranged to have the baby adopted” he explained. 

“Do you know who the father was?” Jisung asked, pulling out a pen and pad. Paul shook his head.

“I never asked” he replied. Chenle frowned.

“Why would April turn to you for help?” he asked. Paul shrugged.

“She trusted me. We had a special relationship. I was her stepfather” he explained. Chenle looked at him before he smiled slightly.

“Is that all?” he asked. Paul’s eyes widened before he stood to his feet.

“You'll excuse me, gentlemen. I gotta get dressed” he stated before he turned and walked off.

~*~*~*~*~

At Ashram in Glen Falls, Chenle and Jisung stood before one of the members, Radha Graves.

“April was a sadhakas; a short term resident. She stayed with us until the baby was born. We provide girls like April with solace, support, options” Radha explained. Jisung raised an eyebrow.

“Like adoption?” he asked. Radha nodded.

“If that's the mother's wish. As soon as April arrived, we began the process of finding a loving family for her unborn child. Everything was progressing as planned but, then…” she started. Chenle then held up a hand.

“Wait. Let me take a guess. Plans changed?” he asked, sarcasm in his voice. The woman smiled thinly.

“April seemed to embrace our approach to right living. She even spoke of staying on after the child's birth” she explained. Jisung frowned.

“So, what happened?” he asked. 

“She went into labor, left for the hospital, and we never saw her again” the woman replied. Chenle’s eyes widened.

“Wait a second. Are you telling us that you let a 14-year-old girl who was in labor drive herself to the hospital?” he exclaimed. 

“The facility's cook drove her” Radha snapped. Chenle and Jisung looked at each other before Jisung looked at her.

“This cook still work here?” he asked.

~*~*~*~*~

“So, you do know April Troost?” Jaemin asked, standing before the cook, Arliss Driver. Arliss nodded.

“Yeah, I used to. In the conventional and the biblical sense” he replied. Jaemin raised an eyebrow.

“You were sleeping with her?” he asked. Arliss shook his head.

“Not until after we left the facility” he replied. Jaemin crossed his arms.

“And after the baby?” he asked. Arliss blinked.

“You know about that, huh?” he murmured. Jaemin sighed as he sat down before Arliss.

“The people at the ashram said that you drove April to the hospital, but there's no record of her ever giving birth there” he explained. 

“She gave birth in my car” Arliss replied before he shook his head.

“Why you gotta come around here? Bringing up bad memories” he grumbled. Jaemin then crossed his arms.

“Was it a boy or a girl?” he asked. Arliss was quiet before he looked at him.

“It was a little guy. We could see he wasn't right” he explained. Jaemin frowned.

“What do you mean?” he asked. Arliss sighed.

“His face, it was all, like, sunken in. You know, like somebody hit him. April freaked out. Said we couldn't take him to a doctor, because her Mom would find us, make April go home. We wouldn't be able to stay together” he explained. Jaemin sighed before he looked at Arliss.

“They got you on a drug cocktail?” he asked. Arliss looked at him before he nodded.

“Yeah, eight pills a day. Shared a needle with a friend. Now he's dead, and my white cell count's in the basement. My life went from April to crap” he spat. Jaemin sighed as he looked at Arliss.

“So why cover up for her? If you know where that little boy is, you need to tell me” he instructed. Arliss looked at him before he took a deep breath.

“She walked into the woods with him wrapped in a towel he found in my trunk. She walked out alone” he whispered. Jaemin’s eyes widened.

“Are you saying April killed her baby?” he asked.

“She said she put it in a trash bag she found, dug a hole, put it down there. A month later, she was gone. So was my cash and my car. I'll see her in hell” Arliss hissed.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Arliss, Jaemin, Chenle, and Jisung headed into a construction site in the woods.

“You sure this is where April buried the baby?” Jaemin asked as they walked through the construction site. Arliss nodded.

“Absolutely. This used to be nothing but trees” he explained. Chenle huffed.

“There goes any chance of finding the baby's remains” he grumbled.

“Or nailing April for murder” Jisung added.

~*~*~*~*~

After visiting the construction site, Jaemin headed back to the DA’s office to talk to Jeno.

“It was ten years ago. He didn't see April commit the murder. We can't produce evidence to substantiate it” Jeno grumbled after Jaemin told him what happened. Jaemin’s eyes widened as he looked at his husband.

“So, for April Troost the rules simply don't apply?” he exclaimed. Jeno shook his head.

“We're not the first ones she's played” he grumbled. Jaemin then shook his head.

“No, but I'd like to be the last” he exclaimed. Jeno sighed and looked over at him.

“Nana, there’s no body. Everything rests on a spurned lover's word” he stated. Jaemin huffed.

“Jeno, we both know April killed her baby” he argued. Jeno shook his head.

“We can think it. We can't prove it” he stated. Jaemin shook his head.

“April doesn’t know that!” he exclaimed. Jeno paused before he narrowed his eyes.

“What do you have in mind?” he asked. Jaemin smiled darkly.

“Let's con the con” he suggested. Jeno looked at him before he also smiled darkly.

“Baby, you’re brilliant” he praised. Jaemin chuckled.

“I know” he replied.

~*~*~*~*~

The next day, April was led into the 2-7 precinct, walking right past Arliss. Arliss smiled at her, but April just glanced at him before she continued on towards the interrogation room. When she walked inside, Sicheng was sitting at the interrogation table, smiling slightly.

“Hello April” he greeted. April huffed.

“You just don't give up” she mused. Sicheng then motioned to the seat in front of him.

“Why don't you have a seat?” he suggested. April was quiet before she sat down.

“I won't get too comfortable. You never do seem to be able to keep me here very long” she stated. Sicheng smirked before he tilted his head.

“Where's your lapdog?” he asked. April shook her head.

“Don't need one. I didn't do anything wrong” she replied. Sicheng hummed as he crossed his arms.

“Are you familiar with the Glens Falls area?” he asked. April shook her head again.

“Can't say that I am” she replied. 

“Used to be trees as far as the eye could see, and then a developer bought up the land, and uh...they're developing 50 family homes on it” Sicheng explained, taking a photo out of his file before placing it before April.

“When the developer broke ground, they found a little surprise. They found a shallow grave. And in it were the remains of a baby” he continued. April said nothing as she continued to look at him but Sicheng could tell that her façade was cracking.

“It was a baby John Doe. Until yesterday” he stated, placing a picture of a little baby skeleton before April. April frowned.

“And I care why?” he asked. Sicheng scoffed.

**“Save it, April. DNA from the bone marrow proves that it was yours”** he snarled, eyes glowing pink as he picked up an evidence bag and held it up for April to see.

**“You wrapped your baby in this towel, and you buried him alive”** he spat. April shook her head.

“I have no idea what you're talking about” she replied. Sicheng raised an eyebrow.

 **“Did he cry, April? Did you wrap the towel tighter to muffle the sound? Could you still hear him after you'd buried him under all that dirt?”** he asked. April looked away from him and took a deep breath before she looked back at him, tears in her eyes.

“I'm not a monster. I would never hurt my baby” she whispered. Sicheng huffed.

**“Well, someone did”** he mused.

“It was Arliss. I don't know what lies he's been telling you, but they're not true. He said he'd take care of it. I didn't know” April sobbed. Sicheng raised an eyebrow.

**“Are you sure, April? Because we also found a garbage bag. Everything that Arliss told us to look for was there. The towel, the bag...”** he started.

“That's because he did it. He killed my baby boy!” April exclaimed, interrupting him. Sicheng huffed.

**“Okay, well, the only problem with that is, April, that Arliss' fingerprints weren't on the bag. Guess whose were?”** he growled. April looked at him before she took a deep breath, dropping the act.

“I'll give you something on Lorraine” she declared. Sicheng looked at her before he smiled slightly, eyes returning to normal.

“Come on, April. We both know that this is the end of the line. Now, you either plead this out, or you take your chance with a trial” he stated before he gathered up all his things and headed towards the door. 

“I don't know. I can be pretty convincing” April called out, making Sicheng stop by the door. Sicheng looked back at her before he smirked.

“I was hoping you'd say that” he stated before he reached out and opened the interrogation room door, Lorraine stepping inside. April looked at her in shock before she looked over at Sicheng.

“What is she doing here?” she demanded. Lorraine smiled.

“I told them you confessed to me about murdering the baby” she explained. April shook her head.

“That's a lie” she argued. Sicheng smiled as he shut the interrogation room door as Lorraine stepped forward, standing before April.

“I told them how you called me that night, so scared and desperate, needing your mother” she continued. April growled.

“I never did that” she spat. Lorraine smiled.

“You were sobbing, eaten up with guilt and shame. Remember April, how I told you we'd get through it? As a family?” she asked. April looked at her before she looked over at Sicheng, who just titled his head to the side and raised an eyebrow.

“When I testify, the jury's going to love it” Lorraine purred. April looked at her before she growled and shot out of her seat.

“I'm gonna kill you! Bitch!” she screamed. Lorraine’s eyes widened as she took a step back while Sicheng stepped in front of her, eyes glowing pink as he grabbed April by the shoulders.

**“You sit your ass down, April”** he growled before he mandhandled her back into her seat and held her there for a second before he stepped back. April looked between him and Lorraine before she huffed.

“Well played, Mom. What'd you get for talking?” she asked, crossing her arms. Lorraine smirked.

“20 years” she replied. April looked away, thinking, before she looked at Sicheng.

“I'll cop to the baby as long as I get less than she did” she declared. Sicheng shook his head.

**“No. You'll give me a statement, then maybe we'll talk about a deal”** he growled. April looked at him before she sighed.

“Where do I start?” she asked. Sicheng looked at her before he sat down, crossing his arms.

“The beginning” he replied. 

**_CASE CLOSED_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, these two fucking women get what they deserve.
> 
> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	104. Case 15: Counselor, This is Chinatown - Part 1

It was a bright and sunny day as a young Chinese woman sat in her apartment, facetiming her brother.

“你在学校做什么? 看看都是…我想你” she stated. 

_“_ _English, Mei Mei. You must practice”_ her brother stated on the call. The young woman, Li Mei Mei, sighed.

“I miss you” she declared. Her brother then smiled.

 _“Come to San Francisco. It's beautiful. Look, I will show you”_ he replied before he walked over to his window and showed her his surroundings.

 _“You see? Please come”_ he begged before he turned the camera back on him and let out a sigh as he flopped down on his couch.

“美国…” he started before he smiled.

 _“_ _I'll send you a ticket”_ he assured. Mei Mei smiled, just as another young woman walked into the room.

“Mei Mei, let's go” she called out as a man walked into the apartment.

“现在. Now” he ordered. Mei Mei looked at them before she looked at her phone.

“I have to go teach. 再见” she bid.

_“_ _我爱你，_ _Mei Mei”_ her brother replied. Mei Mei smiled before she hung up the call and stood to her feet, walking past the man and the woman before she headed out of the apartment. When they got down stairs, the other woman walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Someday you see him” she assured. Mei Mei laughed.

“Maybe” she replied, not realizing that across the street, Donghyuck was taking photos of her and the other two on his phone.

“They're headed south toward Division” he stated into a hidden mic before he continued to take photos.

~*~*~*~*~

At a nearby market, the man was standing outside one of the stalls when one of the girls walked over to him.

“You get me cigarettes?” he asked. The girl held up a red bag, making the man smile and reach out, grabbing the bag.

“给我” he ordered. The young woman huffed.

“You're welcome. They're very bad for you” she stated as Mei Mei walked over to them.

“Grapes better price today” she stated, holding up a bag. Meanwhile, Sicheng was walking by, pretending to talk on his phone.

“Yeah, I know” he stated as he took multiple shots of the two girls and the guy. He continued to pretend to talk on the phone when he paused and looked back at them, the fake smile falling from his face.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Mei Mei was resting her head on the other girl’s lap, the other girl petting her head gently.

“Hey” she called out, making Mei Mei open her eyes and groan softly.

“You having nice dream?” the other girl ask. Mei Mei smiled sleepily.

“I don't remember” she replied as the young man walked over to them.

“Let’s go” he ordered. The young woman looked at him and huffed.

“Ten more minutes” she begged. The young man looked at her and Mei Mei before he huffed and sat down.

“Fine” he agreed. The young woman smiled.

“I love you too, Charlie” she declared; the three of them not realizing that Yuta was nearby, disguised as a jogger. He then turned towards them, snapping multiple photos of them on his phone before he turned and ran off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!
> 
> 你在学校做什么? 看看都是…我想你 - What are you doing at school? Look at it all....I miss you
> 
> 美国 - America
> 
> 现在 - Now
> 
> 再见 - Good bye
> 
> 我爱你 - I love you
> 
> 给我 - Give me


	105. Case 15: Counselor, This is Chinatown - Part 2

“Hey, guys, listen up. So welcome to Operation Dragon Slay” Taeyong stated as he, Jaehyun, and the SVU stood before the rest of the APD and Mark. Jaehyun then motioned to a man standing next to them.

“This is Sergeant Harvey Cantwell from the Human Trafficking Task Force” he continued. Harvey nodded to both of them.

“Thank you, Captain. Lieutenant” he thanked before he turned to the others that were in the squad room.

“Our focus: massage parlors that are fronts for sex slavery and debt servitude, undocumented women being forced to pay off their family's debt to smugglers” he explained.

“So SVU has been tasked, with investigating the Sweet Joy Relax Spa down on Eldridge” Taeyong stated, pointing to a post-it note on a map. Mark crossed his arms.

“How long have we had them under watch?” he asked. Donghyuck motioned to the post-it note.

“This one, a week. The girls are let out one hour a day, always escorted by Charlie Hu. He's illegal with ties to Chinatown gangs” he explained, pointing to a picture of the man that was seen with Mei Mei and the other young woman.

“We estimate off-menu extras bring the spa around 50k in cash a week” Sicheng added.

“The women keep the bare minimum for food. The rest they turn over to the spa's mamasan, Evelyn Lee. Korean-Chinese” Yuta finished. Mark raised an eyebrow.

“So she's the manager? Do we know who they lease the space from?” he asked. Sicheng shook his head.

“Not yet. The buildings and spas are hidden behind a web of offshore LLCs” he replied as he walked over to him and handed him a file. 

“UCs will pose as clients. The goal is: we arrest the johns, management. We flip them, we follow the money, we get the owners” Harvey declared. 

“Okay, but the girls we do not arrest, alright?” Taeyong ordered.

“If they talk, great, but if not, we still offer them immigration, legal, and medical assistance. Take them to social service” Jaehyun added. Everyone looked at them before they nodded.

~*~*~*~*~

At Sweet Joy Relax Spa, Donghyuck stood before the mamasan, Evelyn Lee.

“Hot stone. Very relaxing. Good price” Evelyn stated. Donghyuck smiled slightly.

“What if I want something more relaxing?” he asked. Evelyn smiled as well.

“I have very hot girl for you. Ask her for specials” she instructed, not realizing that Mark, Jaehyun, and Taeyong were watching her through a hidden camera on his shirt. 

~*~*~*~*~

In one of the massage rooms, one of the girls shut the curtain before looking at Harvey.

“You get undressed” she instructed. Harvey nodded and slowly pretended to unbutton his shirt as he looked at her.

“Lily, right?” he asked. The young woman, Lily Song, glanced over at him.

“Mmhm” she replied.

“Now, my, uh, buddies say that you're good with full service?” Harvey asked. Lily nodded as she grabbed a bottle of lotion and placed some on her hands.

“Yeah. You want executive release, number one, honeymoon?” she asked. 

~*~*~*~*~

In the van, Taeyong looked over at Jaehyun and Mark.

“That's it” he declared before he picked up his walkie-talkie.

“All units, game on” he ordered. Mark huffed.

“Here we go” he murmured.

~*~*~*~*~

Inside the spa, Sicheng walked over to one of the massage rooms, throwing open the curtains.

“Hey!” the man on the table exclaimed.

“APD” Sicheng barked, causing Mei Mei to quickly rush to the corner of the room.

“What is this?” the man on the table exclaimed. Sicheng then pointed to him.

“You, off the table” he ordered. The man then slipped off the table as Sicheng walked over to him and pressed him down onto the massage table.

“Get down. Keep your hands behind your back” he ordered as he cuffed the man before looking over at Mei Mei.

“It's all right. You don't have to be scared, okay?” he soothed. Mei Mei looked at him before she turned and dashed off, making him groan.

“Aish…we got a runner!” he shouted before he looked down at the man he had handcuffed.

“Don't move” he growled as Mei Mei ran over to the spa window and pushed back the gate. Sicheng then stepped out of the massage room and pulled out his walkie.

“All units on SVU detail, we've got a female out the window facing Eldridge, sixth floor” he barked.

~*~*~*~*~

Inside the van, Mark’s eyes widened before he quickly threw open the van doors and ran towards the building.

“Out of the way!” he shouted, running past two women walking by. Up on the building’s fire escape, Mei Mei was running down the stairs as Taeyong and Jaehyun stepped out of the van, looking up at her. Down below, an officer pointed a gun at her, making Mark’s eyes widen.

“Guns down! Guns down!” he barked before he ran over to the ladder leading up to the fire escape and jumped up; climbing it. While he was climbing up the ladder, Mei Mei looked down over the edge of the fire escape at the police below before she decided to climb over the rail of one of the metal balconies.

“Oh god” Taeyong whispered, reaching out to grasp Jaehyun’s arm as they looked up at the young woman. They watched as she tried to grasp onto a nearby closed window, but since it was closed, it caused her to lose her balance and nearly fall to her death. Thankfully she grasped onto the fire escape, but she let out a scream as she fell, causing Mark to look up.

“Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey! Hey, hold on!” he exclaimed as he quickly ran up to the level where the young woman was holding onto. He then held out a hand.

“不怕. 不怕” he soothed as Mei Mei let out a whimper. Mark then slowly stepped towards her.

“That's all right. Just hold on, hold on. Don't look down” he instructed as he took another step forward.

“不怕” he assured before he motioned to himself.

“It's okay, I'm not gonna hurt you” he continued as he motioned to a bar near Mei Mei’s hand.

“I want you to reach in and I want you to grab that bar” he instructed. Mei Mei looked up and took a deep breath before she moved her left hand and reached for the bar, allowing Mark to rush forward and wrap his arms around her, grabbing her and helping her down.

“Okay, okay. I got you. I got you” he soothed. Below, Taeyong and Jaehyun both let out a sigh of relief, Taeyong resting his head on Jaehyun’s shoulder. Meanwhile, Mark gently gripped Mei Mei by her shoulders and looked her in the eyes.

“Hey, look, you okay?” he asked. Mei Mei nodded before she rushed forward and threw her arms around Mark, letting out a shuddering breath. Mark wrapped his arms around her and gently caressed her hair.

“I got you. You’re safe” he soothed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!
> 
> 不怕 - not afraid (or don't be afraid)


	106. Case 15: Counselor, This is Chinatown - Part 3

A little while later, Donghyuck led Evelyn Lee out of the spa with her hands behind her back.

“This is a legit business! Good customer! Many cops, they tell you!” Evelyn exclaimed. Donghyuck huffed.

“Yeah, you can call them at the precinct” he grumbled as he shoved her in a police car. Meanwhile, Yuta wrapped a jacket around Lily and another girl’s shoulder.

“Where you take us now?” Lily asked. 

“You hungry?” Yuta replied. Lily and the other girl nodded.

“我们可以谈谈吗?” Yuta asked. The two girls nodded again, making Yuta smile. He was glad he took Chinese lessons from Sicheng; it was definitely going to help him out in this case. While he was talking to the girls, Sicheng was talking to Mei Mei.

“I'm okay, I'm fine” Mei Mei assured. Sicheng nodded.

“Good. You feel like talking?” he asked softly. Mei Mei was quiet as Harvey looked over at Mark across the street.

“Good catch. You know the Chinese proverb, right?” he asked. Mark shook his head.

_“You save a life, you're responsible for that life”_ Harvey declared before he clapped Mark on the back and walked off.

~*~*~*~*~

“So we arrested four johns. They all claim they were getting a "massage”” Taeyong explained as he, Mark, Jaehyun, and Donghyuck walked through SVU. Mark huffed.

“Tough to prove otherwise. Who else?” he asked. 

“Charlie Hu. Bodyguard slash muscle. Carrying an unregistered .45” Jaehyun stated, motioning to one of their interrogation rooms. Mark nodded.

“Hey, we can work with that” he mused as Taeyong motioned to another interrogation room.

“The mamasan, Evelyn Lee, she's hanging tough” Donghyuck stated, motioning to the interrogation room. Mark huffed.

“No surprise there. What about these women?” he asked. Taeyong crossed his arms.

“We called Kun and Chenle down from the 2-7 to act as translators for those who don't speak English and Sicheng and Yuta are with two who speak some English. Sicheng will speak Mandarin if it’s easier for them and if we need someone who speaks Cantonese, we’ll call Lucas, Xiaojun, or Hendery up in Chicago” he explained. Mark nodded.

“Good, good. We’ve got all the bases covered” he murmured.

~*~*~*~*~

At Corlears Hook Park, Sicheng sat before Mei Mei.

“Would it be easier to speak in Mandarin?” he asked. Mei Mei looked at him before she nodded. Sicheng nodded.

_“Okay. And how long have you worked at Sweet Joy?”_ he asked in Mandarin.

 _“Last four years, different spas”_ Mei Mei answered. Sicheng nodded slowly.

 _“You're not in any trouble, but I have to ask…at the spa, do any of the girls ever have to give extra like sex?”_ he asked. Mei Mei shook her head.

_“No”_ she answered. Sicheng frowned.

_“No?”_ he repeated. Mei Mei shook her head again.

_“No. I work very hard every day”_ she started.

_“Right, and how much money do you owe?”_ Sicheng asked. Mei Mei paused before she sighed.

 _“Mamasan say when done. I paid for brother too”_ she explained. Sicheng raised an eyebrow.

_“Where is your brother?”_ he asked.

 _“San Francisco. He study engineering. Very smart”_ Mei Mei answered. Sicheng nodded as he pulled out a notebook and began taking notes as Mei Mei looked at him.

 _“I tell Henry I teach Chinese to U.S. kids. He cannot know. Cannot know”_ she stated. Sicheng looked at her before he nodded.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, Yuta was with Lily at a coffee shop; he had ordered a simple iced americano while he ordered Lily a crossant and a latte.

“你说国语吗?” Yuta asked. Lily nodded.

“我做” she replied before she looked at Yuta.

“But my English okay. I watch "Days of Our Lives," "Friends”” she explained as she tore off a piece of the crossant. Yuta nodded slowly.

“So all of you live there in the parlor?” he asked. Lily nodded as she took a sip of her latte.

“Mamasan say, _"Asymaye expensive”_ ” she explained. Yuta frowned.

“So what happens to the money you make?” he asked.

“Mamasan keep massage money” Lily explained. Yuta’s frown deepened.

“What about the tips for all of the extra?” he inquired.

“Mamasan keep that too. I must pay or they hurt my family” Lily explained. Yuta nodded slowly in understanding.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at SVU, Donghyuck and Harvey sat before Charlie Hu.

“Illegal gun, that's four years” Donghyuck deadpanned. Charlie scoffed.

“That's a piece of cake” he replied. Donghyuck crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair.

“So what's up, man? You wanna tell us about Sweet Joy?” he asked. Charlie huffed.

“It's a massage parlor. So what? Talk, no talk. I get locked up, sent back either way. So…no talk” he declared.

~*~*~*~*~

In the other interrogation room, Taeyong and Jaehyun were questioning Evelyn.

“No speak English” Evelyn stated, making Taeyong look at her.

“Please stop. I'm looking at your record. You've been here for 30 years and this is your tenth arrest. So I'm not buying it” he spat. Evelyn smirked.

“Ten arrests, no conviction. Charges always drop. I run legal massage business” she declared. Jaehyun rolled his eyes before he glared at her.

“Where your workers are forced to perform illegal sex services” he spat. Evelyn looked at both men.

“I take care of my girls. Like a mother. Food, medicine, cake for birthday. No force. Force is, uh, hit, starve” she explained. Taeyong calmly raised an eyebrow.

“Is that what happened to you?” he asked. Evelyn was quiet as Taeyong nodded.

“You know, if you really cared about these girls, you would help me find the people that are running them and running you” he stated. Evelyn narrowed her eyes as Jaehyun sighed.

“Ms. Lee, you're in a lot of trouble” he reminded. Evelyn scoffed.

“"Trouble"? We both know your UCs can't unzip, so your case gonna go south. I call my legal aid lawyer, make bail. I'm back in business by the weekend” she declared with a smirk before she looked at Taeyong.

“You know, you look like you are under a lot of stress. Need massage. Come by. On the house” she assured. 

~*~*~*~*~

“We all have our own jobs. I do mine. Why didn't you do yours? You barely search Sweet Joy” Charlie sneered. Donghyuck frowned.

“We swept that place room by room” he argued. Charlie shook his head.

“Mamasan…鼻子. Sees more than you” he declared. Harvey raised an eyebrow.

“鼻子?” he repeated. Charlie nodded.

“Beast with nine eyes” he answered before he looked over at Donghyuck.

“Your problem? You look but you don't see” he explained. Donghyuck and Harvey looked at one another before they stood up and left the interrogation room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!
> 
> 我们可以谈谈吗 - Can we talk?
> 
> 你说国语吗 - Do you speak Mandarin?
> 
> 我做 - I do
> 
> 鼻子 - Nose (basically someone who likes to stick their nose into other people's business. Big nose, busybody, that kind of thing)


	107. Case 15: Counselor, This is Chinatown - Part 4

At Sweet Joy, Donghyuck and Harvey searched each room. In one room, Donghyuck poked his head in, surveying the room.

“Condoms, lube. You know how many massage parlors I've raided? What's the point?” he grumbled as he stepped back and looked over at Harvey, who came out of a nearby room.

“We're looking for the beast with nine eyes” Harvey answered. Donghyuck huffed.

“Come on, man, you already know the girls won't talk, the johns won't talk…” he started.

“Charlie talked” Harvey reminded before he walked into a room and noticed a smoke detector on the wall.

“What’s that?” he asked. Donghyuck turned and looked into the room.

“Smoke detector” he replied. Harvey hummed.

“One in each room. These people seem interested in worker safety to you?” he asked, looking back at Donghyuck.

~*~*~*~*~

“Surveillance cameras in the smoke alarms” Taeyong declared as Jaehyun, Harvey, Mark, and Donghyuck stood in his office.

“All nine rooms. Mamasan's nine eyes” Harvey added. 

“Not security for the girls?” Mark asked, looking over at Donghyuck, who shook his head.

“No, to keep an eye on the cash” he replied as Sicheng walked into the office.

“TARU went through the servers. It turns out the cameras were routed to Mamasan's nail salon across the street. I went through some of it. It's…it's pretty ugly. Each woman services over a dozen men a day. Um, I found this in there” he explained as he held up his tablet and played a clip from one of the security cameras. Harvey, Mark, Taeyong, Donghyuck, and Jaehyun watched as one of the johns got a little rough with one of the girls, causing Taeyong to shut his eyes and look away. Jaehyun looked down at his husband before he pointed to the tablet.

“Okay, turn that off” he ordered. Sicheng nodded and turned off the tablet as Jaehyun sighed.

“That's rape” he declared. Sicheng nodded.

“Mmhm” he replied. Taeyong then took a deep breath before he turned and looked at Sicheng.

“Who is she?” he asked.

“This is Mei Mei. I-I spoke with her. She didn't say one word about this” Sicheng explained. Mark huffed.

“Of course she didn't. She's scared of Mamasan” he grumbled. Taeyong then looked at Sicheng.

“So bring Mei Mei in and let her know that if she helps us, we will take Mamasan down” he explained. Sicheng nodded before he turned and walked out of office.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Mei Mei was brought in and Sicheng showed her a picture of the man that had attacked/raped her.

_“If you could just tell us who this is—”_ he started. Mei Mei looked at the image on the table, her eyes widening.

“坏蛋!” she exclaimed. Mark, who was with them, raised an eyebrow.

“Uh…” he started, making Sicheng look back at him.

“Bad egg” he explained before he looked back at Mei Mei.

_“Mei Mei, for this interview, could you speak in English or would you like me to translate?”_ he asked.

_“Translate”_ Mei Mei answered. Sicheng nodded before he looked back at Mark.

“We’re going to speak in Mandarin and then I’ll translate for you” he stated. Mark nodded as Sicheng looked at Mei Mei.

_“Do you know who this person is?”_ he asked. Mei Mei shook her head.

_“_ _Don't know name. Loud, do anything he want. Last week was my turn”_ she replied. Sicheng nodded before he looked at Mark.

“She said she doesn’t know the guy’s name. All she knows is that he’s loud and he does whatever the hell he wants. Last week was her turn” he explained. Mark nodded and wrote that down before he looked at Mei Mei.

“When does he-he usually show up? After work?” he asked before Sicheng quickly translated so that Mei Mei could understand.

_“No, he have no job. He used to come with friend. Now just alone”_ Mei Mei answered. Mark looked at Sicheng, who sighed.

“She said he doesn’t have a job and that he used to come with a friend. Now he just comes alone” he translated. Mark nodded as Mei Mei held out her hand.

“Wait” she called out, switching to English. Mark and Sicheng looked at her as she looked back at them.

“He come in on Sunday. He say we're his special hangover cure” she explained.

~*~*~*~*~

Out in the squad room, Yuta showed Lily the picture of the man. She took one look at it before she stood to her feet and headed over to the vending machine.

“Mamasan say let him do what he want” she explained. Yuta raised an eyebrow.

_“What he wants?”_ he repeated. Lily said nothing as she placed her coins in to the vending machine and pressed the buttons, waiting for her snack. Yuta then took a deep breath.

“Lily…did he rape you?” he asked. Lily grabbed her snack before she turned to look at him.

“No. He rough, but Mamasan say on the house because he have 关系” she explained. Yuta raised an eyebrow.

“Connections? To who?” he asked. Lily shook her head.

“I don't know” she replied before she leaned in closer to Yuta.

“Must be very high rank for Mamasan not to take money” she whispered. Yuta nodded slowly in understanding. 

~*~*~*~*~

After talking to Lily, he heading into Taeyong and Jaehyun’s office to tell him and the others what Lily told him.

“And they know nothing about him?” Taeyong asked. Yuta shook his head.

“Just that he sweats gin and has enough hooks to get a free pass” he replied. Sicheng huffed as he looked over at Taeyong.

“So we lean on Mamasan. Charge her with aiding and abetting unless she gives him up” he suggested. Donghyuck shook his head.

“She won't. She lets him rape her girls. He's too connected for her to turn on him” he explained. 

“Mamasan knows the game. She told us she'd be out on bail and open for business by the weekend, and she's probably right” Jaehyun grumbled. Sicheng hummed.

“Maybe that's not such a bad thing. I mean, Mei Mei said that he's a Sunday regular, so maybe we just let her reopen” he mused. Taeyong sighed.

“It's worth a shot, but this guy's connected. Is he really gonna talk?” he asked. Donghyuck scoffed.

“A piece of crap like that? He'll flip to save his own ass” he declared. Taeyong and Jaehyun looked at him before they nodded in agreement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!
> 
> 坏蛋 - bad egg


	108. Case 15: Counselor, This is Chinatown - Part 5

The next day, Lily and Yuta were sitting in a unmarked van, doing surveillance on the spa.

“He Tom. Bad back. Just want massage” Lily explained, pointing to one of the men on Yuta’s laptop. Yuta nodded slowly before he looked over at Lily.

“But most clients…” he started. Lily looked back at him before she sighed.

“Like Mamasan say: _“Money talkie”_ ” she explained. Yuta hummed before Lily pointed at a man that appeared on his laptop.

“There he is. Mr. Bad Egg” she declared, her voice shaking. Yuta took him in before he picked up his walkie-talkie.

“Eyes on target. Approaching entrance. Light hair, blue cardigan” he stated. Lily looked at him in awe before she looked at the laptop, a smile on her face.

“Oh, he gonna be surprised” she purred.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Donghyuck was sitting before the man, “Mr. Bad Egg” who held the tablet in his hand and watched his clip of him and Mei Mei.

“That's not rape. These girls get paid to do what clients ask” he explained. Donghyuck snarled as he snatched the tablet out of his hand.

“You don't pay them a god damn dime” he spat. Bad Egg shrugged.

“I'm comped. It's part of the deal” he explained. Donghyuck raised an eyebrow.

“Part of the deal you and your friend have?” he sneered. Bad Egg nodded.

“Yeah. Yeah, like you'd rent a space to a restaurant. You eat for free” he explained. Donghyuck nodded slowly.

“Oh, okay. So this all on the up-and-up. So I need to confirm with your friend. What's his name?” he asked. Bad Egg paused before he huffed.

“Uh, tell you what: I want a lawyer” he declared. Donghyuck said nothing before he looked back at the double mirrors, where Taeyong and Yuta were watching. Taeyong then turned away, sighing heavily.

“So what do we have on this creep?” he asked.

“Theo Pappas, 30. No record, no job” Yuta answered, just as Donghyuck walked out of the interrogation room.

“And no idea who the friend is” Jaehyun, who was also in Taeyong’s office, grumbled. 

“Some guy who rents out the space” Donghyuck stated. Taeyong nodded.

“Okay, are we any closer to tracing the leasing agent?” he asked.

“On all four parlors that we raided, it's just a firewall of LLCs from the Caymans to Korea to Hong Kong” Yuta explained. Taeyong groaned and put his head in his hands as Jaehyun looked at them.

“So Theo is all we have. Mei Mei and Lily ID'd him. Will she testify?” he asked.

“Winwin hyung took Mei Mei to a shelter, she's shaky” Donghyuck answered. Jaehyun then looked over at Yuta.

“And Lily?” he asked. 

“She went back to the massage parlor, but she's feisty. She wants to do this” Yuta replied. Jaehyun nodded.

“Set up a meet away from the spa. Walk her in” he ordered. Yuta nodded and headed out of the office as Donghyuck nodded and headed back into the interrogation room. Once they left, Jaehyun looked at Taeyong.

“You okay, babe?” he asked. Taeyong looked up at him and smiled weakly.

“Just a little stressed and tired. But I’m fine” he assured. Jaehyun hummed before he reached out and gently patted his head.

“I’ll give you a massage when we go home, okay?” he suggested. Taeyong smiled.

“Sounds wonderful” he replied.

~*~*~*~*~

At the shelter, Sicheng was talking with Mei Mei.

_“I cannot do more. I have to go back to work to make money. I have to pay back every week or they hurt my brother”_ she explained.

_“If you testify against Theo and he turns against the owners, we could put them all away”_ Sicheng assured. Mei Mei shook her head.

_“That is a good dream, Mr. Dong, but it's not a come-true dream”_ she replied before she stood to her feet.

_“I stay here tonight. Get rest. Then go back to spa”_ she declared. Sicheng turned to look at her, shaking his head.

 _“You don't have to do that”_ he argued. Mei Mei turned to face him and sighed.

“你办法. Nothing can be done” she stated before she turned and walked off. Sicheng watched her leave before he sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

~*~*~*~*~

At the courthouse, Yuta was waiting on a bench for Lily to arrive.

“Sorry I am late!” a voice called out, making Yuta look over to see Lily running over to him. His eyes widened and he quickly stood to his feet as Lily stopped before him.

“Mamasan ask many question. I tell her my legal aid lawyer need to see me” she explained. Yuta smiled and patted her on the arm.

“That's good, Lily. After the grand jury, we'll get you housing” he assured as he began walking, Lily following him.

“But after I testify, Mamasan in jail. Everything good. I start new life. Charlie get out too, right?” she asked. Yuta looked over at her before he chuckled.

“Let's take it one step at a time. You ready?” he asked. Lily smiled and nodded.

“Piece of cake. What Charlie say” she replied. Yuta smiled before he led Lily over to the Supreme Court. When Lily saw it, she gasped.

“So big” she breathed. Yuta looked over at her.

“Never been here before?” he asked. Lily shook her head.

“Never been anywhere. Just spa to spa. But after today, I free as a bird” she declared with a bright smile. Yuta smiled.

“Come on” he instructed, motioning for her to follow him.

~*~*~*~*~

Inside the courthouse, Mark, Jaehyun, and Taeyong were waiting.

“I have a grand jury waiting” Mark grumbled, looking at his watch.

“And they just texted, and they're on their way” Taeyong replied, showing him his phone. Mark huffed.

“Yeah, they'd better be. Mei Mei backed out, same as the two workers from the Yorkville spa” he grumbled. Jaehyun then looked at him.

“You still have Theo's assault video” he reminded. Mark sighed.

“Yeah, without Mei Mei supporting it” he argued. 

“Enough for an indictment. And Theo? Two hours in Rikers, he'll wet the bed” Taeyong assured.

“Taeyong” a voice called out, making Taeyong, Mark, and Jaehyun turn to see Yuta and Lily walking over to them. When Taeyong saw Lily, he smiled and took a step forward.

“Lily. I'm Captain Lee. And this is my husband, Lieutenant Jung” he introduced. Lily grinned and shook his hand before shaking Jaehyun’s. She then stepped back and looked at both of them, a bright smile on her face.

“The big boss” she breathed. Taeyong smiled.

“Thank you, Lily, so much for doing this” he thanked, just as Lily’s phone buzzed. 

“Oh, excuse me” Lily murmured as she pulled out her phone, opening up the message. She stared at it, her eyes widening slightly.

“Okay, Lily, you ready?” Mark asked. Lily was quiet, making Yuta look over at her.

“Everything okay?” he asked. Lily looked at him with wide eyes before she nodded.

“Yeah, yeah. Uh, can I use bathroom?” she asked. Yuta nodded.

“Yeah, I’ll show you where it is” he replied, motioning for her to follow him. Mark, Jaehyun, and Taeyong watched them walk away before Mark sighed.

~*~*~*~*~

By the bathroom, Yuta was patiently waiting for Lily to finished but as he waited, he realized that Lily was in there for an unusually long time. He frowned and looked at his watch before he headed over to the bathroom.

“Lily?” he called out, knocking on the door. When there was no answer, he sighed.

“Lily, I’m coming in” he continued as he turned the knob and opened the door, stepping inside.

“Lily, everything okay in here?” he called out. He looked around the bathroom before he noticed one of the doors were opened, so he walked over to it and opened it before stepping inside. He looked around before he noticed the open window, so he walked over and looked down, only to see Lily on the ground, blood pooling around her head. His eyes widened and he quickly stepped away from the window before he pulled out his walkie-talkie.

“This is Sergeant Nakamoto Yuta, SVU. I need a bus to 60 Center Street. We've got a jumper down” he ordered, his voice shaky. 

_“SVU, copy that. 60 Center Street”_ a man replied. Yuta then placed his walkie-talkie back on his belt before he noticed a phone on the ledge. He reached out and picked it up, looking at the photo of a middle age Chinese woman with a gun pointed at her head. He looked at the phone before he glanced out the window, slowly sitting down on the ledge. He then placed his head in his hands, taking a deep breath before he let out a scream; a scream so loud that the ground shook beneath him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	109. Case 15: Counselor, This is Chinatown - Part 6

The next day, Mark and Sicheng headed to Lily’s funeral, where they saw Mei Mei standing by Lily’s coffin.

“Mei Mei?” Sicheng called out. Mei Mei turned to look at them, sniffling.

“Mamasan pay for funeral, but no one come” she explained. Mark shook his head.

“I'm sorry, Mei Mei” he apologized. Mei Mei sniffled again. 

“Lily very good person. All the time, she make us smile. She very brave. She must be very scared if she jump” she explained. Sicheng sighed.

“She was threatened” he explained before he pulled out his phone and pulled up the photo that Yuta had transferred from Lily’s phone. He then held it out to Mei Mei so that she could see.

“Do you…you know who this is?” he asked. Mei Mei looked at the photo before she looked at Sicheng.

“Lily mother” she answered before her eyes widened.

“Mamasan do this. Mamasan know where all parents are” she explained. 

“So will you help us? You can testify against Theo, against Mamasan—” Sicheng started. Mei Mei’s eyes widened and she shook her head.

“No! No, I can't. They hurt my family” she exclaimed. Mark sighed as he stepped forward.

“Mei Mei is there anything that you can tell us?” he asked. Mei Mei looked at them before a single tear streamed down her cheek.

“If Charlie there, he no let this happen” she answered. Sicheng frowned.

“Why not?” he asked.

“Charlie love Lily. They saving up. He help pay off debt, then run away so no one find them” Mei Mei explained.

~*~*~*~*~

At Rikers, Donghyuck and Harvey sat before Charlie, who looked at Lily’s crime scene photos.

“Lily would never jump. You push her” he spat, glaring at them. Donghyuck shook his head.

“No, not us, Charlie” he replied as Harvey reached into his file and pulled out the photo from Lily’s phone.

“Lily's mom” he declared as he placed the photo down before Charlie. Donghyuck then pointed to the photo.

“Who did this? Mamasan?” he asked. Charlie shook his head.

“I don’t know” he replied. Donghyuck gave him a look.

“Yes, you do. Lily was gonna testify against the guy who roughed her up, who raped Mei Mei. It all happened on your watch, Charlie” he growled as he took out Theo’s picture and placed it before Charlie.

“Now, this guy he shows up Sunday morning for his hangover—” he started. Charlie looked at the photo before he looked at Donghyuck.

“He'd never rape Lily. The other girls? I couldn't stop that” he admitted. Harvey raised an eyebrow.

“Why? Because he has 关系? You can stop it now, Charlie. We know his friend's connected to the building. Who is he?” he growled. Charlie shook his head.

“I don't know his name” he replied. Donghyuck looked at him incredulously.

“They kill your girl and you're still protecting them?” he asked. Charlie shook his head again.

“No, no name. Old school. I text his pager, meet him once a week, give him cash” he explained. Donghyuck looked over at Harvey before he looked back at Charlie.

“Okay, so we get you your phone and you text him” he ordered. Charlie looked over at Harvey before he sighed.

“Okay. Doesn't matter” he murmured before he reached out and picked up the crime scene photo of Lily.

“Lily, did she get a funeral?” he asked. Donghyuck nodded, making Charlie sigh in relief.

~*~*~*~*~

In Straus Square, Harvey looked around before he noticed a white male walking towards him.

“Turkey's landing” he whispered into a mic before he looked over at the male.

“Hey! Are you Charlie’s friend? Ah, good to see you! Come, come!” he called out, motioning for the man to come over. Nearby, Sicheng and Yuta were pretending to look at their phones while they actually listened into the conversation.

“Who are you?” the man asked. Harvey smiled.

“Charlie can’t come today, but Mamasan sent me. I have a special delivery for you” he declared, holding out a brown package.

“Okay, whoa, are you an idiot? Don't do it like that” the man exclaimed before he looked around.

“Just all right, just give me the cash” he ordered, reaching out and snatching the package from Harvey’s hand. Harvey laughed nervously as he stepped back, bowing.

“Sorry” he apologized.

“Go away” the man ordered. Harvey nodded and walked away as Sicheng and Yuta walked over to the man, laughing and playfully touching each other.

“Excuse me? Hi. Uh, my partner and I were wondering if you would settle a bet for us?” Sicheng asked. The man looked at them before he nodded.

“Sure. What can I do for you?” he replied. Yuta then laughed as he motioned to Sicheng.

“Okay, he said that you would rather be cuffed and I said, you would rather walk to the car and get in the back” he explained. The man frowned and shook his head.

“I don't know—” he started when both Yuta and Sicheng pulled out their badges, their eyes glowing pink and silver respectively. 

~*~*~*~*~

“Yeah, I never saw that guy before today” the man, Rick Ollins, explained as he and his lawyer, Yang Jeongin, sat before Sicheng and Donghyuck.

“Uh, he beeped you, you came from your office, and you took a bag” Sicheng deadpanned. 

“I thought it was a food delivery” Rick replied. Sicheng just gave him a look.

“Then why'd you say, _"Give me the cash"_?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. Rick smiled at him nervously.

“You heard that?” he replied. Sicheng nodded as Jeongin cleared his throat.

“If I could interject. Mr. Olin is a real estate broker. He was merely collecting rent” he explained. Donghyuck raised an eyebrow and scoffed.

“$15,000 in small bills?” he asked. 

“Mr. Olin acts as a broker for his father's company renting to legitimate businesses. If these business illegally sublet…eh” Jeongin replied with a shrug. Donghyuck nodded slowly.

“I got it. When Rick visits Sweet Joy, it's just for his own release?” he asked as Sicheng pulled out a photo of Rick and Mei Mei in one of the rooms at Sweet Joy. 

“I have some back problems” Rick explained. Donghyuck huffed.

“One of these girls get the kink out?” he asked as Sicheng placed another photo of Rick with Lily down. 

“Yeah, that's kind of a perk” Rick replied as Jeongin took the photos, looked at them, then looked at Donghyuck and Sicheng.

“This is ludicrous. These aren't even victimless crimes. I make one call to the DA's office, this all goes away” he declared. Sicheng raised an eyebrow.

_“Victimless?”_ he repeated before he placed a photo of Theo pinning a girl to the massage table down on the table.

“You know this guy?” he asked. Rick looked at the photo before he nodded.

“That's Theo, we uh we play squash together” he replied. 

“Yeah, you know he assaults women?” Sicheng snarled as he placed another photo of Theo assaulting another girl down.

“How could Rick know that?” Jeongin demanded.

“Because Theo told us that Rick told him _: "Do whatever you want to them.” "It's on the house”_ ” Sicheng snarled, eyes flashing pink. Rick looked at him and Donghyuck before he shook his head.

“I don't need to do that. These chicks…a guy like me walks in the room, they're, like, really happy” he explained. Jeongin shot him a glare.

“Rick. 충분 해” he snapped before he looked at Donghyuck and Sicheng.

“Detectives, at this juncture, let me make a phone call” he declared.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Mark, Taeyong, Jaehyun, Jeongin, and Rick’s father, Avi Ollins, sat down in the conference room.

“My first set of kids, they turned out fine, but Ricky, he's a little dim. But he's no criminal” Avi assured. Taeyong scoffed.

“Let's agree to disagree, Mr. Olin. Your son is looking at conspiracy to rape and sex trafficking” he declared. Avi shrugged.

“What, so he got a few freebie, uh, happy endings? I told him to slow that down, but how is that sex trafficking?” he asked. 

“He's on camera, taking cash from somebody, that he thought was the parlor's bag man” Mark deadpanned. Avi frowned.

“What "bag man"? It's rent” he argued. Mark raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, it's rent. So you, you know about the payments. So if we go through your books, we're gonna see $15,000 a week in cash rent?” he asked.

“Ricky might be behind in the paperwork” Avi replied. Jaehyun shook his head as he looked at him.

“I don't think you understand what we're saying. You know your son's friend Theo? Rick gave him permission, to do anything he wanted to those women, including rape” he growled.

“So in answer to your question, Mr. Olin, that is how we get to conspiracy to rape and sex trafficking” Mark finished. Avi looked at them before he smirked.

“You're talking to me because you want something. I'm a great deal-maker. So let's talk” he suggested. Taeyong smiled darkly.

“Good. So we know that you rent out at least 11 of the buildings that you manage to these spas. So these spas are all connected. But the women are debt slaves. They get moved around from one to the other to the other” he explained. Avi shook his head.

“That I can't speak to” he replied. Mark crossed his arms.

“What can you speak to? How about the syndicate behind the whole operation?” he snapped. Jeongin then held up a hand.

“Here's where we stop. You want Mr. Olin's cooperation, simple. Your boss guarantees no charges will ever be filed against Rick Olin” he declared. Taeyong, Mark, and Jaehyun said nothing as they stared down Jeongin and Avi. Mark would never let that happen and neither would Taeyong and Jaehyun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	110. Case 15: Counselor, This is Chinatown - Part 7

“Snakeheads smuggle girls from China, charge the family with insurmountable debt” Harvey stated.

“Which the girls are forced to pay off doing sex work at massage parlors” Sicheng added as he looked at Mark’s boss and Taemin’s husband, Choi Minho. 

“Yes, we all know how this works, and we're no longer supposed to arrest the girls, so the cycle never ends” Minho grumbled. Mark sighed.

“Which is why we're working our way to the top. Avi Olin, him, he holds leases on a dozen slum buildings housing massage parlors” he explained, walking over to the board Harvey and Sicheng had brought to Minho’s office.

“You dug him out behind his LLCs? He got sloppy?” Minho asked, raising an eyebrow. Sicheng shook his head.

“No, his son did. We got him on a rape charge” he explained. Mark nodded.

“Yeah, and to keep his son out of prison, Avi has given us Arthur and Christine Chang” he declared. Minho frowned.

“You do know the Changs are one of Park Avenue's most prominent power couples? Hospital and museum boards, Asian charities…” he reminded. Harvey scoffed.

“The classic Chinese-American success story, except they're also sex traffickers” he growled.

“Avi Olin has agreed to testify that the Changs are behind every shadow spa company, that he leased to” Mark explained, looking at Minho. Minho then sighed as he looked at him.

“And the Changs will argue Mr. Olin cut a deal to save his son. Even if they do own the parlors, how can we prove they know what goes on inside?” he asked. Mark groaned.

“Hyung, what do you mean?” he asked. 

“Hard evidence that they're behind the trafficking, or this is a no-go” Minho growled.

~*~*~*~*~

At the Lucky Mahjong Society, Taeyong and Jaehyun sat down before Evelyn and showed her a picture of Arthur and Christine Chang. 

“I never meet these people” Evelyn stated. Taeyong nodded.

“I'll buy that, but you do know them by name. Chang, Christine and Arthur, right? They own the spa and many others. They supply the girls” he explained. Evelyn laughed and shook her head.

“No. Girls show up, need work, I give work. Massage. Massage very good—” she started when Taeyong held up a hand.

“Stress, I know, I know” he replied before he looked Evelyn in the eyes.

“You know what's stressful? Prison. And I know that you're out on bail now but you're looking at sex trafficking, abetting rape” he explained. Evelyn raised an eyebrow.

“"Rape"? No. My girls would tell me” she assured when Jaehyun held up a hand this time.

“Stop. We have your own surveillance video. You knew what was going on. You allowed it to happen. And when Lily was going to testify, you threatened her family, and that's why she jumped” he growled, his eyes glowing white. Evelyn was quiet before she sighed.

“I am so sorry she died. Lily was like daughter to me” she explained. Taeyong then smirked darkly.

“But not like your real daughter. The one in China; Jia” he reminded. Evelyn’s eyes widened.

“She's good girl. She know nothing about this” she whispered. Jaehyun nodded.

“Oh, she's a good girl and she's a smart girl, from what I understand. She just got accepted into U.C. Davis” he mused. Evelyn looked at him in horror.

“What do you know about that?” she whispered. 

“I know that universities don't like bad publicity and I know that they don't accept tuition paid for by sex traffickers” Taeyong stated. Evelyn looked at him with horror before she shook her head.

“She get accepted on her own. No 关系. No backdoor” she argued. Jaehyun shook his head.

“That won't matter. They find out about you, they won't take Jia” he deadpanned. Evelyn shook her head.

“No” she whispered.

“You've worked hard your whole life so Jia would have the break that you never did. But I pick up the phone to the dean of admissions of Davis” Taeyong started before he snapped his fingers, his eyes glowing red.

“That all goes away” he whispered. Evelyn looked between him and Jaehyun before she sighed.

“What do you want?” she asked. Taeyong then held up the photo of the Changs.

“I want you to tell us about the Changs. Where do they get the girls? Where do they get the money? Not from Rick Olin” he growled. Evelyn shook her head again for the umpteenth time.

“No. He take money for rent to grease building inspector, politicians. But the real money we pay to mai-mai ren. The "buy-sell man”” she explained. Jaehyun hummed.

“So an intermediary. And what's his name?” he asked.

“Lester Ping. He run World Wide China Travel Agency. I see him once; he help fancy lady get out of fancy car” Evelyn explained, pointing to Christine Chang.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Sicheng, Yuta, Harvey, Donghyuck, and other APD officers headed towards the World Wide China Travel Agency with their guns drawn before they entered the business.

_“APD, hands up”_ Sicheng barked in Mandarin, causing almost all the agents to stand with their hands raised.

“Move away from your desks” Harvey snapped.

“APD, hands up” Donghyuck ordered.

_“Keep your hands up”_ Sicheng roared as Yuta walked over to one of the agents and pointed his gun at him.

_“Don’t you fucking move”_ he spat in Japanese. 

“Back away from your computer” another officer ordered as Sicheng headed to the back room while other officers were barking ordered. Sicheng then looked inside the back room before he looked over at Harvey.

“Sergeant” he called out, making Harvey look up before he rushed over to him, Donghyuck and Yuta following them. They then headed down a hidden staircase to an underground room.

_“Everybody, hands where we can see them”_ Sicheng called out.

“Hands up. Hands up!” Harvey ordered.

“Move away from the desks” Donghyuck snarled.

“Step away from the tables” Yuta barked as more APD officers came downstairs. Sicheng then looked around before he noticed the man that was Lester Ping.

“Get him out of here” he snarled. An officer nodded and walked over to Lester, grabbing him and walking him over to the wall before cuffing him as Sicheng looked down at one of the books on the desk.

“Look at this” he whispered. Harvey nodded.

“Dates, names, amounts. Villages in China” he stated. Sicheng nodded before he grabbed his walkie-talkie.

“Hyung, we just broke into the Chang's Iron Mountain” he declared. He then put away his walkie-talkie before he pulled out his phone and snapped pictures of the books.

~*~*~*~*~

In a nearby van, Taeyong, Jaehyun, and Mark were looking at the photos that Sicheng sent Taeyong.

“We'll need more forensic accountants. Look at this” Taeyong declared, showing Mark the photo as Jaehyun looked at him.

“What about an arrest warrant for the Changs?” he asked. Mark nodded.

“I’ll call Minho hyung, see what I can do” he replied as he pulled out his phone and dialed his boss’s number.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!
> 
> Also, just a PSA, if you see ANYONE plagiarizing my works on any other writing platform other than AO3, you fucking let me know. I don't tolerate plagiarism as someone is already plagiarizing an Untamed fic of mine on Wattpad. So please, report it, let me know so that I can report it, shit like that. Because if this keeps happening, I'm going to have to put all of my works on "members only" and I DON'T want to do that because I want everyone to be able to read my stuff.


	111. Case 15: Counselor, This is Chinatown - CASE CLOSED

At the Chinatown Benevolent Association, Christine Chang was giving a speech.

“Here I was in 美国,the beautiful country, but life was not so beautiful. It was hard. So hard. I knew then if I made it, when I made it, I would help immigrants like me” she declared. Sicheng and Harvey, who had slipped into the auditorium, looked at her before Sicheng huffed.

“By trafficking them into slavery” he murmured.

“This is why my husband and I have devoted our lives to the bettering of our Chinatown community” Christine finished. Sicheng looked at her before he shook his head.

“Let's do this” he murmured, heading towards the stage when Harvey held out a hand.

“Let the old man take his bow” he suggested. Sicheng sighed and waited as Christine walked over to her husband and helped him to his feet so that they could both bow to the audience. After they had taken their bow, Sicheng and Harvey looked at one another before they walked forward.

“Christine and Arthur Chang” Harvey called out. Both Arthur and Christine looked at them in confusion as Sicheng pulled out his badge.

_“APD, you're under arrest”_ he declared. Everyone in the auditorium looked at each other in shock and Arthur looked over at Christine in confusion as Christine sighed heavily.

~*~*~*~*~

“Sex trafficking? That cannot be. My husband and I only own legitimate businesses. Restaurants, travel, real estate, import-export, hotels” Christine stated as she and her lawyer sat before Taeyong, Jaehyun, and Mark.

“And, uh, transportation, right? The Silver Rabbit Bus Line?” Mark asked. Christine nodded.

“Yes, uh, very successful. We started this because we have so many restaurants. We needed to transport our workers. Other bus lines charge too much, but—” she started, letting out a laugh, before she looked at Mark, Taeyong, and Jaehyun.

“Our Chinatown busses became very popular” she finished. Taeyong sighed. 

“Okay, Mrs. Chang, we read the articles, thank you very much. And we also know that you use the bus lines to transport girls from one massage parlor to another under armored escort” he stated.

“To protect them” Christine assured. Jaehyun shook his head.

“No, no, it's so they don't run away” he argued.

“They are freelance. They want to work for us” Christine declared. Taeyong glared at her.

“They want to perform sexual services a dozen times a day six days a week while you take away their pay?” he snarled. Christine shook her head.

“I know nothing about that” she replied as her lawyer, Wen Junhui, glared at him.

“How dare you? The Changs among the most well-respected business leaders in Asymaye” he snapped. Taeyong groaned.

“Okay” he murmured.

“These are wild, baseless, and frankly offensive accusations” Jun snapped. Mark scoffed.

“Offensive? Yeah. Baseless? No” he growled as he looked over at Christine.

“In addition to trafficked sex workers, a mamasan, and a bag man, your lead CPA, Lester Ping, has agreed to cooperate” he deadpanned. Christine shook her head.

“Lester, he's only our travel agent” she argued. Mark tsked.

“Well, you should have paid him more. He's still walking our forensic accountants through your maze of money laundering. Smuggler pay-offs, bribery, fraud, embezzlement.

From here to Guangdong” he snarled. Jun shook his head.

“The Changs know nothing of any of this” he assured. Taeyong raised an eyebrow.

“Really?” he asked. 

“Is that true, Mrs. Chang? Because in your home village, Dalang, six girls were smuggled out last year” Mark snarled as Jaehyun looked at Christine.

“Let me ask you a question, Mrs. Chang. Did the mothers know what you forced the girls to do to pay off the debt?” he snarled. 

“These criminals –” Jun started when Christine slammed her hands down on the table.

“ENOUGH!!” she shouted. Jun blinked in shock as Christine turned to look at Jaehyun, Mark, and Taeyong.

“When I was growing up, the Cultural Revolution was ruining China. My parents were doctors. They were arrested for practicing Western bourgeois medicine. Sent to the countryside, 夏妇女, for reeducation! My sister and I; no one would talk to us because our parents were criminals. And no food to eat. No place to sleep” she exclaimed. Taeyong shook his head.

“That doesn't justify what you did—” he started.

“Please, please!” Christine exclaimed.

**“To those girls”** Taeyong finished, eyes glowing red. 

“And then a man helped me to come over. He helped me to get over here. I came with nothing. A-and what can a girl do, huh? With no education, no resources?” Christine asked before she scoffed.

“You can guess. I promised myself if I could, I would help other girls escape, and I would. I have helped hundreds, thousands of girls make their way here. But in my zeal to help others down the golden path, my path has deviated. And for this I must atone” she declared as a single tear streamed down her cheek.

~*~*~*~*~

“You got the Changs to agree to plead guilty to sex trafficking?” Minho asked as he and Mark walked up the Supreme Court’s steps. Mark nodded.

“And extortion and money laundering. She just…she just confessed” he explained. Minho frowned.

“Why?” he demanded. Mark sighed.

“Because she's guilty. Also, I think she's worried about her husband. He's old, he's frail. The deal is that he knows nothing” he explained. Minho hummed.

“All right, I'll take it. She's a big fish. Reel her in” he ordered.

~*~*~*~*~

At the arraignment court, the judge looked at Christine.

“Christine Chang, how do you plead?” she asked.

“At this time, Your Honor—” Jun started, just as a man in a suit walked into the courtroom.

“Excuse me, Your Honor. Mark Sullivan, Southern District of Asmaye. I have an arrest warrant for Christine Chang on federal charges” the man, Mark, declared. The judge frowned before she motioned for him to come forward.

“Approach” she ordered.

“Objection, Your Honor. We had no knowledge of this” Minho argued.

“We have a plea deal in place” Mark added. Mark smirked as he walked over to the judge and handed her a file.

“Not anymore. This case has international implications. We've requested the suspension of the state's case to investigate and prosecute with global disposition. The DA has agreed to allow us to take the lead on this” he explained. Mark frowned as he always stepped forward.

“Your Honor, this is—” he started when the judge held up her hand.

“It's out of my hands, Mr. Lee. The state's case is hereby suspended. I am releasing Christine Chang to federal custody. Bailiff?” she instructed, motioning for the bailiff to lead Christine away. As they left, Jun looked over at Mark and smirked.

“Better luck next time, Counselor” he teased. Mark watched him leave, watching as Christine made eye contact with Mei Mei, who was there along with Sicheng and Harvey, before she walked out of the courtroom. He then walked over to Minho.

“Hyung, what the hell was that? The feds can't just waltz in here and take our case” he snarled. Minho sighed.

“They can, they did. Evidently my boss has signed off on it. Changs cut a backdoor deal with the DOJ” he explained. Mark shook his head.

“No, we had them. International sex trafficking, money laundering!” he exclaimed. Minho shook his head.

“They trumped that. National security, intel on China. Whatever it is, we'll never know. That's why she confessed so easily. She had this in her back pocket” he explained. Mark shook his head.

“I don't think so. Her confession was sincere” he argued. Minho looked at him.

“Either way it never happened” he stated. Mark snarled.

**“So, what? " _Forget it, Jake, it's Chinatown"_? Did you know this was coming?”** he shouted, eyes glowing gold. Minho shook his head.

“No, I give you my word. The DA didn't even give me the courtesy of a heads-up. I’m sorry” he apologized before he packed up his things and left. After he left, Mark let out a heavy sigh and ran a hand through his hair, letting out a groan.

~*~*~*~*~

Later on that evening, Taeyong and Jaehyun were in their office, Donghyuck and Yuta in there as well. Taeyong was on the phone with Mark, who explained to him the situation.

“You did the best you could” he assured. He listened to what Mark had to say before he nodded.

“Yeah, thank you” he thanked before he hung up and looked at the others.

“So Mark says that we lost the Changs” he stated. Yuta’s eyes widened.

“What?” he exclaimed. Taeyong nodded.

“The feds took the case” he explained. Yuta shook his head.

“Did they say why?” he demanded. Taeyong shook his head.

“Apparently they didn't have to” he sighed. Donghyuck sighed.

“We knew those two were connected” he grumbled.

“What about the rape case against Theo and Rick?” Yuta exclaimed. 

“Theo pled guilty. Uh, they're asking the judge for seven years. And Rick, they're still negotiating” Jaehyun replied. Yuta looked at them in shock before he shook his head.

“You mean he's gonna get off” he snarled. Jaehyun, Taeyong, and Donghyuck looked at one another before Taeyong looked at Yuta.

“Hyung, why don’t you punch out? It’s late” he suggested. Yuta looked at him before he huffed and turned on his heels, walking out of the office.

“Never seen him like that before” Donghyuck murmured. Jaehyun huffed and crossed his arms.

“What did you expect? The girl that he was supposed to be protecting jumped out a window” he murmured. Donghyuck shook his head.

“That's not his fault” he argued. Taeyong sighed.

“Well, he doesn't believe that” he murmured. Jaehyun and Donghyuck looked at him before Jaehyun pulled out his phone and sent a text to Sicheng, asking him to look after Yuta. Sicheng immediately replied, assuring him that he would make sure Yuta would be okay that evening.

“Sicheng said he’s going to make sure Yuta’s okay” he declared, putting his phone away. Donghyuck and Taeyong nodded.

“Good, good. Yuta hyung’s always so strong, so it’s weird to see him so…distraught” Donghyuck murmured. Taeyong sighed.

“Well, everyone’s human. And in a job like this…you’re bound to have bad days. This is just one of them” he mused.

~*~*~*~*~

The next day at Corlears Hook Park, Mark and Donghyuck sat before Mei Mei.

“I still don't understand. Bad lady don't go to jail?” Mei Mei asked. Donghyuck shook his head.

“The federal government has her now. They decide” he explained.

“Either way, you won't have to worry about your debt anymore. Mrs. Chang has agreed to pay off the smugglers. You're free” Mark added. Mei Mei frowned.

“To do what?” she asked. Mark and Donghyuck looked at one another before Donghyuck pulled out his phone and stood up while Mark looked at Mei Mei.

“We talked to your brother” he explained. Mei Mei frowned.

“Did you tell him what I do?” she asked. Mark shook his head.

“No, no. Just that you were working to pay off the money your family owed to the smugglers and that we busted that ring” he explained, just as Donghyuck turned back to them, holding out his phone.

“He'd like to talk to you” he stated. Mei Mei’s eyes widened before she laughed softly and took the phone out of Donghyuck’s hand, standing up and walking away from the two men to speak to her brother privately.

“Henry?” she greeted.

_“Mei Mei. I'm so sorry. I didn't know about the debt”_ Henry apologized. Mei Mei shook her head.

“I want you not to worry. It’s okay. So you can study and be big success” she stated, smiling. Henry then chuckled.

_“I'm almost graduated. Come out and live with me”_ he stated, making Mei Mei giggle.

 _“In San Francisco. I already bought a plane ticket”_ Henry continued. Mei Mei frowned.

“What we do?” she asked. 

_“Take care of each other. Like the broken plate when Mom was so mad at us”_ Henry answered. Mei Mei chuckled.

“You say you broke it, I say I broke it, but it was Father” she agreed. Henry laughed, causing her to laugh before she looked at Henry.

“我爱你” she declared. Henry smiled.

 _“_ _我爱你_ _. See you soon”_ he bid. Mei Mei nodded and waved goodbye before she hung up the call and turned, walking back over to Mark and Donghyuck.

“Thank you, Mr. Lee. I know what the Chinese proverb say, but you save me twice now. You can rest” she assured. Mark smiled, making Donghyuck smile as well. Mei Mei then handed Donghyuck’s phone back to him before she turned and walked off, going to enjoy the nice day. Mark and Donghyuck watched her leave before Donghyuck reached out and took Mark’s hand, entertwining their fingers. 

“We did good, Mark” he whispered. Mark nodded as he gave Donghyuck’s hand a squeeze.

“Yeah” he agreed.

**_CASE CLOSED_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!
> 
> I'm going to go on a bit of a hiatus so that I can finish writing the last two cases for this fic as well as work on other fics of mine that need to be updated/worked on. I've also got school to think of so that will probably be my first priority over anything else

**Author's Note:**

> Are y'all ready for another NCT story? Hope you are; this one has all 23 members this time! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


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